Keeping Secrets
by kankusan
Summary: When Kay is stranded off-world during a routine assignment, she falls in with a mysterious stranger on the run. Will he be able to help her find her way back to Atlantis, or will his presence put her in even greater danger? Rated T for language, violence, and some mild sexual themes later on.
1. Running

Kay winced at the numbers on the scale and sucked her gut in a little, as if that would make her lighter. The numbers stayed the same. One. Six. Zero. _Damn._ Her stomach growled right at that moment, too, just to rub it in. She sighed. It was right. Trying to starve herself down to size just wasn't working. She let her belly relax and ran a finger over the digital display, wishing she could wipe it off. A long six weeks of diet and exercise—no, make that deprivation and boot-camp—and only this to show for it. Life was not fair.

She tensed again as Dr. Beckett approached.

"Well, then." He flipped a page on the chart and jotted down her weight. "That's nae so bad, now, is it?"

She studied his face to see if he was making fun of her. "But that's the same as last week."

"I know it, dearie." He smiled and motioned for her to step down. "But ye 'ave kept off what ye lost, and that's a good thing, too."

"I don't know." She sank down onto the chair by his desk and rubbed her temples. Her stomach growled again._ Be quiet, you. _"I don't think I'm ever going to take it all off."

"Ye canna' be serious!" He gave her a hearty slap on the back and pulled the blood-pressure cuff off its hook. "Ye 'ave shed ten whole pounds in a wee month. That's nae a pea-drop in the bucket. Mark my words, ye'll be a wee slip of a lass again in no time."

She grinned at the expression and sat still while he inflated the cuff.

"Besides," he continued, "ye only have about twenty left on now, maybe twenty-five. Ye're nae so far outside yer BMI as all that."

"That's good to know. But I'm just afraid—" she folded her hands in her lap and waited until a group of techs had passed by. "I'm afraid they'll decide I'm not fit enough. I mean, to stay here."

"Oh, now, don't ye worry yer head there. If they thought ye were nae the full shilling, they ne'er would hae brought ye here. And what's more, the weight can be dealt with. It's just that having a certain level of athleticism is—"

_Just part of the job._

"—well, dearie, it's just part of the job."

She forced herself to smile. Dr. Beckett meant well, of course, but if one more person told her that...

"Yes, that's what I've been hearing," she said pleasantly. "Luckily, I've done more crouching than running so far."

The doctor grew serious. "We all do plenty of running out here, lass. 'Tisn't keeping the job ye should be worrying yerself about. 'Tis getting a wraith on yer tail, and being able to shake 'im."

Kay understood that. Just the pictures she'd seen of Wraith were enough to make her burrow under the blankets every night like a child. Before she was hired on, the Military higher-ups had made it crystal clear that she would have to get in better shape. Now she knew why.

"Well, I'll keep trying," she said, and meant it.

"Good lass." He slapped her on the back again. "'Til next week, then."

She gathered up her notebooks and headed for the door, but Dr. Beckett called after her.

"Oh, and Kathryn?"

"Yes?"

"Ye just keep right on eating, or I'll march over tae the mess and stuff those meals down yer throat m'self."

She laughed out loud. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"Aye. Do."

She ducked out before her stomach could start growling again, and turned toward the transporter. The double sliding doors at the end of the corridor were propped open and salty air came wafting past her. She paused at the corner to breathe in the freshness and the scent, wishing they could somehow bring the ruins back here. P-586 was stuffy at best. No deodorant in the universe could handle the amount of sweat she produced there. She hoped the archaeologists would stop uncovering new portions of the wall soon; rumor had it the newest discovery was on a tropical beach somewhere.

The door she was leaning against opened suddenly and Major Lorne plowed straight into her.

"Oh, hey. Sorry there—uh—Katie."

Kay ignored the mistake and fell into step with him. "That's all right. Where are you headed?"

He rolled his eyes. "Guess."

She smiled. "Weir making you sit through the briefing again?"

"Mmm-hmm. Probably figures I have nothing else to do."

She had to jog a few steps to keep up. "Keeping you off the mean streets of Atlantis, eh?"

"Huh. Something like that. It's just too bad that briefings are never brief."

She gave him a polite chuckle. He made the same joke every time.

"Well, just remember, you could have been stuck with Botany."

The Major threw his head back and laughed. One of the botany teams had heard about a certain root that was supposed to have analgesic properties, but in the end all it did was make the whole team—including their military escort—break out in enormous blotches from head to toe. The rash was harmless, but impossibly purple, and all of Atlantis had been singing the theme song from Barneyever since.

"Yes, Katie, you have a point there." He snickered one last time and glanced at his watch. "Oh, hell. We'd better run."

Kay thought they already were running. She broke into a full trot to keep pace with his long strides, and before they had gotten anywhere near the transporter, there was a stitch in her side. When they spotted the rest of the Major's team coming toward them, she stooped down and pretended to tie her shoe.

"Go ahead—I'll catch up."

The Major nodded and turned down the east corridor with his men. Kay straightened up and leaned against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. She still wasn't used to being around all these soldier-types. The men all scared the hell out of her, and the women—well, pretty much the same. Not that people weren't friendly, they just...they were just... She sighed. They were just so damned _impressive_. And the problem with impressive people was that they somehow had a way of never remembering your name.

She stared out at the turquoise sea and wondered if the waters at the new dig-site would be that pretty. It was much too cold for swimming here, although a few of the crazier ones sometimes tried. She hadn't exactly thought to bring a bathing suit along to Pegasus, and probably would have refused to put it on anyway, but just wading in the shallows would be a treat, and she could always—

Her radio headset buzzed. "Key Seigrist, you're being requested in the briefing room."

She started hard and looked at her watch. _Damn it, Kay!_ She spun around the corner and jogged the whole length of the corridor. Wretched oversized city. It would take her a good five minutes to get up there from here, and of course they would all be waiting, ready to stare when she walked in. _A certain level of athleticism. _She pressed her lips together and picked up her pace. Well, Dr. Beckett was right. They did do plenty of running out here.

* * *

Ronon scanned the tree line for any sign of movement. Nothing to the left, a few birds off to the right. He stepped into the cleaning and twisted a spike deep into the moss, then two more on each side. Then he scattered leaves around the space and ducked back into the shadows. The rain was letting up already and the hollowed-out place under the Jourse shrubs was still dry. He lay down flat on his belly and slithered in.

It was a long wait, maybe ten minutes. They must have gotten turned around, probably crossed the river by mistake. He had enough time to work the stunner out of his belt and slip it into his front pocket.

Twigs began to crunch in the distance. He held his breath and listened. They were coming from the southwest, this side of the river. He heard them split into two groups, and tightened his grip on the knife. The birds near the clearing screeched and took to the air. He lifted his head just enough to see over the brush. Two on that side already. He focused in on the other footsteps again. Two more behind him to the left, making good speed. No, wait. Three.

The trap sprang. He shoved his gun through the shrub and fired. One hit the ground, the other lay twitching on the spikes. He fired again. It let out a slow gurgle and stopped moving.

The three behind him scattered. He rolled over and slashed the branches out of his way, crawled forward and put his back against the rock-pile. Shots sounded straight over his head and also from the right. He aimed that way and heard a tree trunk splinter under the blast. _Shit._ The one on that side fired again. He felt a brief stinging in his arm, then numbness crept down to his wrist and up into his shoulder. _No._ His heart stopped beating until he saw that his hand could still move. Then he breathed again. It had only grazed him.

He ducked down and waited. They would try moving to a better position soon. Yes, all three stopped firing at once. There was a split second of silence, then the one on the right darted into plain sight, baiting him. He ignored it and peered over the rocks. The other two were moving in fast, only thirty feet away now. He clipped one in the leg and the other dove for cover. The injured one crawled behind a bush, while the one on the right vanished again.

Everything went quiet. He beat the butt of the gun against his arm, trying to get the feeling back, then tucked the knife into his pocket and took out the stunner instead. There was a soft rustling in front and to the left. He smiled. Perfect. All three moved in unison again. He aimed to the right and hit this time, then swung his arm over the the rock and pounded off blind shots until there was a _thud _in the leaves. A furious cry reached him from the left, and then there was silence.

He waited. Two full minutes and still nothing. He eased himself to his feet. The one in front of the rock was convulsing on the ground. He shuddered. It was much closer than he'd realized. He stunned it and went to check the second trap. The metal pike had struck lower than he wanted, and the wraith was still breathing. Just. He holstered his gun, took hold of the rope and tugged until the pike came back out. Damn, it was bent. The wraith rolled over, sputtered for a moment, and died.

He went back to the stunned one and stood over it. The snake eyes looked into his, narrowed and angry. The feeling was mostly back in his arm now. He fished a thick blade out of his boot and went to work, sawing away at the limp wrist until bones crunched and the whole hand came loose. He held it up for the wraith to see, then tossed it into the brush. The eyes flashed with rage, and he fired the final shot. Before turning away, he dragged the wraith into a sitting position and propped its oozing arm up with a stick. A warning to any others.

He dug up his pack and jogged toward the ring, but as he began to punch in the symbols, something told him to go back and make sure the first two were dead. He crept into the clearing, found a thick branch and nudged each one. The one in the trap was still struggling a little after all. He leaned down until it had a good look at him, then lifted his boot and jammed the heel into its face. Then he stepped on its back, pressing with his full weight to drive it down onto the spikes. The wraith howled and convulsed hard before finally going still. He checked it for signs of life. Nothing.

He kicked it anyway.

_Take that, you son of a bitch._


	2. Aliens Among Us

The rec room was packed. Kay slipped past the rows of folding chairs and settled herself against the wall in the back. They'd talked her into coming, but they couldn't make her sing, especially if they couldn't find her. Someone was propping up the little portable movie screen in front, and it struck her how shabby and small it looked there against the backdrop of 'Lantian architecture. It was just so low-tech, so retro, so _Earth_. Seeing it made her more homesick than ever.

The microphone squealed, and Sergeant Bradley, the unofficial director of social events, brought them all to attention.

"Greetings, ladies, gentlemen, and fellow Earthlings," he began with a grin, and the whole crowd groaned.

"No more Earthling jokes!" someone called, and a few pieces of crumpled-up paper flew to the front.

Bradley smirked and threw them back into the audience. "All-rightey, then. I can see my humor is too high-brow for this crowd."

The groans increased, and a woman in the second row nailed him between the eyes with a styrofoam cup. Everyone chuckled then, and Bradley rubbed his forehead dramatically.

"Fine, fine. We'll forgo my brilliant comedy routine tonight." He tucked the microphone into its stand and sat down by the karaoke machine. "Come on, people, don't be shy. Who's up first?"

There was a moment's pause, and then, to Kay's surprise, Colonel Sheppard began picking his way to the front. She barely knew him, but it seemed strange for the ranking military officer to get up and sing in front of half the city. He jerked the mic back off the stand and turned to glare at someone standing on the far side of the room.

"I just want to say that I'm only doing this because I lost a bet. And I wouldn't have lost the bet if _someone_ hadn't dropped the walkie-talkies in the mud." Then he ground his teeth and added, "_Rodney_."

Kay wondered what that was all about and was still trying to figure out which man Rodney was when the music started. The Colonel cringed visibly and gave the wall another dark glance before beginning.

"I like big butts and I cannot lie..."

The room exploded with laughter. Kay couldn't even hear the Colonel's performance for the first few lines, but a stifled hush finally fell as people realized that this was too good to miss. Several recording devices came out, and the Colonel's face grew dangerously hot. Kay figured the man called Rodney was going to get it.

Her own chuckles subsided a little when she noticed one of the Athosians—or rather, _the _Athosian, since all of the others had resettled before she came here—sitting nearby looking concerned. Kay scooted along the row until they were side-by-side and gave the woman a friendly smile.

"It's Teyla, right?"

"Yes." Teyla smiled back. "It's nice to see you again, Kathryn."

Kay was impressed. They'd only met once when she first arrived, and that was just in passing.

"You have a good memory."

Teyla gave her a modest shrug. "I nearly always remember people I meet." Her eyes strayed back to the front of the room, where the Colonel was toughing his way through the second verse. Kay studied Teyla's face for a moment, wondering what she thought of all this. Their culture must seem so strange to her; even back on Earth, there were groups who still found their Western practices completely bizarre. To someone like Teyla, Kay and the others must seem downright...well, alien.

"Is something wrong?"

Teyla hesitated. "The Colonel does not seem to be enjoying himself. I understood that this activity was meant to be...entertaining?"

Kay bit her lip, trying not to burst into laughter again. It was difficult to explain why Sheppard's performance was just that.

"And this song," Teyla continued. "It seems rather—well—rather inappropriate, does it not?"

"Well, yes." Kay suppressed a grin. "I suppose it is."

After listening for another line or two, Teyla turned to her again. "Tell me. Do all Earth men find large...backsides so appealing?"

Kay felt the giggles drain out of her. She wriggled in her seat, thinking of her own backside. It wasn't exactly flabby, but it wasn't exactly round and taut, either. Certainly not in the way that most men would—she sighed.

"It's—that's—a little hard to explain."

Teyla took one glance at Kay's face and smiled politely. "So, then. I understand that you and your team are in the process of translating ruins?"

Kay breathed out. "Yes. We're nearly finished, as a matter of fact."

"Was it a difficult code to decipher?"

She shrugged. "Not particularly. After we worked out the first few runes—and that's not a very accurate name for them, actually. We only started calling them that because they looked so much like the old Germanic—" she realized that Teyla wouldn't know what she was talking about and decided to skip the explanation. "Anyway, after we worked out the first few runes, everything just sort-of came together." She paused and tugged on the end of her braid, weighing how much more she should say. Telya was trusted here—certainly trusted enough to be on the Colonel's own team—but Kay hated to bring her into any departmental politics that might be happening behind the scenes.

Teyla was watching her closely. "Does that trouble you somehow?"

Kay shook her head. "No, not in and of itself. Only, I'm a little surprised they bothered to bring us out here. Dr. Wyatt and me, I mean. It's been a relatively simple project—I'm sure the existing Linguistics department could have handled it. I mean, don't get me wrong, this is an incredible opportunity. It just—I don't know—it seems like such a waste. I know it costs them an arm and a leg to have extra people here."

The Colonel finished and the whole crowd jumped to its feet, cheering and howling with laughter. It seemed to Kay that Teyla was giving her a strange look, but it was lost when the Colonel marched to the far side of the room, hooked his elbow around another man's neck, and dug a knuckle so deeply into his skull that everyone moaned. When he finally let go, the victim smoothed his hair down with a snort.

"Oh, very funny, Sheppard. You know I have sensitive skin. Now I'm probably going to get a bald spot." He tipped his head toward a woman standing next to him. "How does it look? Did he take the skin off?"

Everyone laughed again then, including Kay. So that was Rodney. And Teyla, after glancing between the Colonel and Rodney with her brows arched, finally laughed, too.

"I must admit, he deserved that."

Kay smiled and looked up, only to see Dr. Harrison, the head of the department, trying to wave her to the front. Panic stabbed through her stomach.

"Um, excuse me, Teyla," she mumbled, and flew out the door.

She slumped into her room and kicked her shoes off. Her brush was on the little side table under the mirror; she shook her braid loose and stared hard into her own eyes. Her reflection was unforgiving. Boring hair, boring lips, boring face. Yup. She wouldn't stand out in a crowd if she were on fire.

Not that she wanted to stand out, not really. She sank down onto the bed and tossed the brush to one side. The thought of getting up there, of having so many eyes on her, made her queasy.

She stood up again and turned sideways, careful to suck in her belly. Then she let it back out in a huff. This was ridiculous. She had work to do. The Wraith were hunting for them every day of the week, and unless somebody discovered a new technique for fighting them soon, it was going to be a long and desperate war. This certainly wasn't the time or place to be worrying about her appearance. And she hadn't come here to meet guys anyway. Whether anyone ever noticed her or not was completely irrelevant.

Right?

* * *

Ronon shouldered his way through the marketplace, keeping one eye on the booth at the far end and one eye on the sun. He'd stay for an hour, no more. Sellers called to him from all sides, but he shut out their voices and pushed forward. The crowd was getting thicker every second. _Out of my way._ Flies buzzed in his ears and beads of sweat began to form on his cheeks. He stripped off his coat and slung it over one shoulder. He was halfway there now. Sixty more steps. Fifty. _Hurry._

The fishmonger's wife was loading up a basket for an old man when he approached. She saw Ronon's load and smiled.

"Just a minute."

She rushed to finish with the man's purchase, then motioned for Ronon to step into the stall. He dropped the squashy package on the table and watched her tear into it.

"Ten! You've had good fishing, haven't you?"

He didn't respond. She checked the fish for freshness, then weighed each one and began to calculate the total. He added up the numbers in his head as well. They were usually honest here, but it didn't hurt.

"All right," she said, "that's a good batch. I'll give you seventeen pieces."

He shook his head. "I don't want money."

"Oh?" She gave him a wary glance. "A trade, then?"

He pointed up at the canvas tarp covering the stall. Her face registered surprise.

"You want _that_?"

He nodded.

She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, why not? I can get another."

She stepped onto a footstool to unfasten the first corner, and once he saw how it was tied, he reached up and undid the next. When all four were loose, he stepped outside, pulled the tarp off with one swift motion and wadded it up under his arm.

"Are we finished?"

The woman's face showed surprise again. "Yes, if you like."

He grabbed his coat and turned back into the crowd, giving the sun another glance. Good, that didn't take long at all. He dodged a bread cart and kicked an empty barrel out of his way. It was half a mile back to the ring. He crossed to the other side where there were fewer people and began to jog. If he hurried, he could make it in just a few—

"Wait!" The fishmonger's voice reached him from behind. _Damn._ Ronon paused long enough to let him to catch up. He was probably going to argue about the tarp. Ronon dug his fingers into it.

"Traveler, wait." He came up puffing and flashed Ronon a warm smile. "I see you've made a terrible bargain today. I hope my wife hasn't used her beauty to take advantage of you?"

Ronon relaxed his grip. "No."

"But you've brought us a valuable catch. Those are a delicacy here, you know."

Ronon knew it. "And?"

The fishmonger looked confused. "Well...you didn't take much for your trouble."

"I only needed this." He held up the tarp and turned to leave again.

"Friend, wait." The fishmonger put a hand on Ronon's arm. "Let me do something for you. Please, come and break bread with us tonight."

"No."

Ronon shook the hand off and kept moving. He could feel the other man's eyes following him until he passed through the marketplace and turned into the woods. No one ever guarded the rings in places like this, and he punched in the symbols without any trouble. On the other side, he ran straight for the cover of the trees and took a moment to scan the horizon. A few fat rodents were sniffing along the ground near the hill, but otherwise, it was quiet.

He walked toward the cave. Heat was rising in waves off the scorched earth, and he stopped by the stream to drink and refill his water pouch. He also took a moment to shake out the tarp and fold it carefully. It was thick and in good condition; he hadn't struck such a bad bargain. And he didn't have time to wander around their market spending all those coins anyway. He tucked the tarp back under his arm and surveyed his surroundings. The sun was hanging at an angle already and the sand-bugs were beginning to click. He yawned. May as well get back. It had been almost twenty hours since his last sleep, and night came fast here. He jogged the rest of the way and dug out the opening, then crawled in and plugged up the entrance again.

He felt around in the dark for his bedroll and stretched himself out. Pieces of loose gravel stuck into his back and there was a damp patch under his right hip. He rolled onto one side. The sand-bugs were all awake now, clicking like a hailstorm out on the rocks. His stomach rumbled. When had he last eaten? He scanned through the food-pack in his mind and scratched at the peeling scab on his wrist. Damn wraith. That one knew what to do with a knife. He pulled the blanket up to his chest. It would be freezing before morning. His stomach rumbled again. He'd have to lay traps tomorrow.

He closed his eyes and was asleep in two breaths.


	3. Enemies of the Wraith

**Chapter longness! Apologies and fair warning that this is a longer-than-usual post, but I don't know for sure if I'll be able to update next weekend (we're due for some much-needed 'puter maintenance), so I'm sort-of posting ahead. Hope everyone is having/had a great weekend! **

Kay sat back on her heels and checked her notes. The lower half of the pillar was too badly eroded to read, but all four pillars in this section had basically the same inscription anyway. She stood and scanned the upper portion. Yes, there was _enemy_, that combination meant _victory_, and below that, _life_. She flipped through her notebook and double-checked the first three pillars, then jotted down what was left of the fourth.

_I am an enemy of the Wraith—_

_ I fight the one who takes life._

_ His life is forfeit when he meets my hands._

_ His hand has no victory—I take victory from him._

_I fear not. I surrender not._

The rest of the inscription contained lists of proper names, various dates, and what seemed to be the names of either planets or villages, all followed by the word _death_. Kay stared at the final pillar for a moment, and sighed. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was simply a record of battles fought against the Wraith, or maybe a memorial to the people who died in them. Either way, it appeared to be nothing more than a slice of someone's history.

"Kay?" Dr. Wyatt poked his nose over the crumbling wall. "You got anything?"

"Oh, hey, Brian. Yeah." She took a final glance around the enclosure and squeezed through the gap in the stones. "Here—I just finished."

Dr. Wyatt took her notebook and skimmed the translation. "Yep. This looks consistent with the other chambers."

"Mmm."

"Now, this set here—" he pointed at the right-hand column of her notes. "You still think these are dates?"

"Definitely." She took the notebook back and began parsing the symbols into smaller components. "Look...there are _sun_ and _south_, this is _two_ _moons_, and this one is _remember_ or maybe _happen_. So it would read something like, _when the sun was in the south, and both moons came—_that means both moons were visible at the same time, I suppose—_remember this_. Or maybe, _this happened_. Then you have the names, the places, and _death_."

Dr. Wyatt was already nodding. "Yeah, I think you nailed it. Huh. Good eye." He took out a soggy tissue and mopped at his forehead. "All right, then, why don't you check in with Ted and we'll see if we can get out of here."

She found Dr. Harrison hunched over a flat piece of stone, deep in discussion with Emily Austin, the only other female linguist out here.

"Ah, Kay." He sat up and took her notebook, apparently glad for the interruption. "Finished already? That was fast."

She saw Dr. Austin's face turn sour.

"Don't give me too much credit," Kay said, settling herself in the grass. "The main portion was the same thing four times over."

Dr. Harrison was busy pouring over the translation.

"Mmm. Yes, that fits with the rest. Oh, of course. Why didn't I see that?"

He set the notebook aside, and she could read the disappointment in his face.

"Well, any thoughts?"

She shrugged. "Nothing new. They were definitely militant, and obviously secretive." She stole a glance at Dr. Austin. "But..."

Dr. Harrison ran a hand over what was left of his hair. "Yes, _but_. We still have absolutely nothing."

His words hung in the air as all three sat in silence. Kay fiddled with a piece of grass, debating what to say next. She knew that Dr. Austin disagreed with her theory, but the evidence was becoming too clear to ignore; every new set of runes they found pointed to the same thing. There was nothing here that could help them defeat the Wraith. These ruins were no more than an interesting archaeological find.

"I think," she said, with her eyes on the ground, "I mean, believe me, I hate to say it, but I really think we're grasping at straws here. These people weren't advanced enough—in terms of technology, of course—to have anything we can use against the Wraith. This is an amazing site, but—"

Dr. Austin cut her off. "So we just pack up and quit trying? Let the Wraith fly in and eat us all alive?"

Kay spoke in a measured voice. "No, of course not. I'm just saying that I really don't think we're going to find anything helpful here. These people were far less sophisticated than the Ancients. Can we really expect to find—what—a secret weapon hidden somewhere? Something that the Ancients never thought of themselves?"

Dr. Austin snorted. "The Ancients weren't gods, you know. They weren't the only ones to produce sophisticated weaponry. May I remind you that _we_ are far less advanced than they were, and yet look where we are right now?"

"Emily, please." Dr. Harrison's voice was strained, and Kay guessed that they'd been arguing about this all day. "She's only trying to say that this civilization was hardly some—oh—what do I mean to say?" He waved his arms around, fishing for the right words. "Some Wraith-fighting super-force."

"Fine. Then will somebody please tell me why they were so dammed secretive? Why the elaborate code here? If they didn't have anything to hide, why in the world were they hiding it?"

Dr. Harrison seemed at a loss for words. He took off his glasses and polished them on the edge of his shirt, which only made the lenses greasier. Kay looked down and realized she was gripping the grass with both hands. She wanted to speak up, but Dr. Austin had always hated her, and had never tried to hide it. Even so, Dr. Weir and the rest of Atlantis were waiting for answers. They deserved to know the truth, even if it meant crushing Emily Austin's ego.

"Well," Kay said slowly, "there was nothing about this code in the Ancients' database, right? So these people obviously lived and built all this after the Ancients left. They must have been fairly helpless—it looks as if they had hardly any defense against the Wraith. But by codifying their communications, they at least had one small advantage." Her mind was mulling over the problem even as she spoke. "They could network, talk strategies, leave messages behind whenever they abandoned a village. And if not actually defeat the Wraith, they could at least memorialize the dead..."

She paused to chew on her pencil, even though Dr. Austin was waiting with folded arms for the rest. Something was nagging at her. The lists of people killed by the Wraith...why would anyone come back here after the place was culled to make them? It'd be dangerous, since the Wraith would be likely enough to return for survivors. To not only come back to the place, but take the time to carve death certificates half an inch deep into solid rock? That didn't make sense. Unless...

"Wait—it doesn't mean _death_, it means _departed_." She took the notebook from Dr. Harrison and worked the new word into her translation. "Listen. I think they were moving people. In fact, I think they were moving a whole lot of people, and constantly. Probably trying to keep the Wraith guessing. If they couldn't find anyone, they couldn't cull. My guess is, this place was a base for an enormous refugee operation. And this inscription is a record of who went where, and when."

She held up the notebook, and both Doctors looked.

"This place must have been the best-kept secret of their time. My guess is that the Wraith never even found it. We've always wondered why they left everything so intact. I'd bet anything the people abandoned it for environmental reasons." She gestured at their surroundings. Not a single bird disrupted the leaves in the trees, and water didn't flow anywhere. The air was heavy with rain that never fell, and the clouds always hung low in the sky. Even in the middle of the day, it was dark and stifling here.

Dr. Austin took an angry swig from her water bottle. "All right, then. Let's assume for a moment that you're correct. What exactly does that leave us with?"

Kay turned to Dr. Harrison for help, but he only gave her an encouraging smile.

"Well, honestly, I think—I mean—" She took one look at Dr. Austin's face and lost her nerve.

"Well, what is it? What do you think?"

Kay swallowed. "I just—I just think that this should give us enormous hope here. I mean, if I'm right, these people completely outwitted the Wraith, and we're talking about people who were downright primitive compared to the Ancients. Just think. By limiting the Wraiths', er..." she was going to say _food supply_, but the words made her sick. "By limiting their ability to feed and keeping them hunting, just imagine how much they might have weakened the hives? We know that if their resources are strained enough, they turn on each other eventually, or else go to sleep. Who knows? Maybe this civilization was the reason so many Wraith went into hibernation in the first place. And if they could accomplish so much when they had so little technology at their disposal, then just think what _we_ might do out here?"

"Hope." Dr. Austin gulped the rest of her water and stood up. "Well, put that in your report if you want to, but I'm sorry, everyone back at Atlantis is waiting for us to find something useful here, and I'll bet they want more than _hope_."

Dr. Harrison pulled himself up and and motioned for Kay to slip away. She gave him a sad smile, gathered her notes and headed toward the spot where she'd left her things. But before she was quite out of ear-shot, Dr. Austin mumbled something that sounded like, "not always right." And then came Dr. Harrison's matter-of-fact reply.

"Yes, she is."

They were more or less finished, and everyone began to pack up for the day. Kay shoved her notebook into the emergency bag they were all required to carry and trudged off toward the gate. Major Lorne, who always stationed himself by the DHD, saw them coming and began to dial. The relief in his face made her wonder if he would rather have been stuck with Botany and the Barney rash after all. She paused to watch the event horizon bubble out of its boundary, then looked over her shoulder to see if the others were ready. There was some holdup over the stone tablets they were bringing back for the archives; it seemed that Dr. Wyatt had fumbled one, and everyone was searching through the grass for fragments. Kay and the Major exchanged frustrated glances, but neither one went back to help. She knew that he wouldn't leave his post until they were all safely through the gate, and she just wanted to avoid Dr. Austin.

After a moment, the Major sighed. "Look, just go on ahead. I'm guessing this will take a few minutes."

_Hallelujah. _She waited for him to send his IDC through, then jogged up the steps before anyone had the chance to call her back. The syrupy coolness swallowed her up, and then came the disorienting rush forward. And the next moment, she found herself standing on dry earth, blinking in the hot light of an open field.

* * *

Ronon heard the ring activate down in the valley. _Shit._ He dropped the tangled wire and wormed his way into the bushes growing along the edge of the ridge. The branches tore at his arms until they were warm with blood, but he ignored the stinging and jerked his gun out. The water bubbled out of the ring and then settled back into its vertical pool. He took aim at the flat area in front. The pool quivered. He slid the barrel through the thorns and eased a finger over the trigger.

A figure stepped out, too small to be a wraith. He pulled the gun up short and squinted. A girl. The water vanished behind her and she stood still in the dead grass, blinking her eyes and glancing around. She did that for about eight counts, then let out a cry and ran to the activation device. She began to punch in symbols, but froze halfway through. Her arms dropped to her sides. She said something he couldn't quite hear, then sank down to her knees and just stared up at the ring.

He frowned. She looked as if she were waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. Five minutes passed. Ten. He sniffed the air and peered up through the branches. Clouds would be moving in soon. He sure as hell didn't want to be out here when the rain hit. He glanced into the valley again. The girl was alone for now, not likely a threat, but someone might be coming behind her. He decided to head back, and began to work himself free of the bushes. _Damn thorns. _It took longer to get out than it had to get in.

He slid down the far side of the slope and broke into a jog. Thunder rumbled softly far to the north of the ring. He picked up his pace but was only halfway to the cave when the ring began to spin again. He turned back. Better to go see what was happening than be caught down here without cover.

He ran to a spot where the trees grew close together and peered into the valley. The girl was on her feet, watching the ring and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The water poured out and back, and the same instant, the nose of a dart punched through.

_ Shit!_

He swung himself up and began to climb, but the branches were thin and he had to stop about ten feet above ground. He braced his back against the trunk, hooking each knee over a different branch to spread out his weight. He pulled his gun and a knife. A shriek reached him and footsteps pounded along the path under the trees. The girl came in sight. She was stumbling over the rocky ground, leaning her full weight into her run. She looked up for a second and their eyes met, but hers were blind with panic. There were two wraith on foot close behind her, gaining fast. One was in range. He aimed, and hesitated. It would give away his position.

He fired. The first wraith hit the ground. The other spotted him and let out a howl. Ronon swung his legs free and dropped onto the grass. He was barely on his feet when a third came out of nowhere and knocked him to one side. He staggered a few steps and fired blindly. He must have grazed it; the wraith hissed and took cover. The second reached him and brought a club down on his right hand. His gun fell. He swung his left arm in an arc and made contact. The wraith stumbled backward, clawing at its throat. The other came at him again and landed a blow on his shoulder. He drove the knife into its chest and jumped out of the way. The wraith bared its teeth at him but slumped over in a heap. At the last minute, it lifted its stunner and fired in Ronon's direction. He was already halfway up the tree.

He braced himself against the trunk again and freed his own stunner from his belt, then scanned the ground under him. The first wraith was face-down in the dirt, definitely dead. The other two were squirming. He stunned each one from his perch and sat still, listening. The dart whirred overhead for a moment longer, then the ring began to activate. He breathed out. He could hear the rush of the water as it poured into the air, and then the dart vanished and everything went silent.

He eased himself down and found his gun in the grass, then finished off the two wraith and checked all three bodies for weapons he could salvage. Each one had a hand-held stunner, two fairly decent knives, and a small club. He puffed out his cheeks. Trainees. No wonder they were so easy to take down.

Then he remembered the girl. He pushed himself up and began to pick out her trail in the dead undergrowth. It led eastward down the path and around the bottom of the hill. She was lying face-down in a ditch on the south side. He crept up and nudged her with his boot. Still breathing. He climbed into the ditch and rolled her over to get a better look. She was pale from the stun-blast. Brown hair, young, pretty. Her shirt was strange, made from a soft weave that stretched just a little when he tugged on it. There was a stiff wire hooked over one ear with a straight piece attached, pointing down toward her mouth. That was probably a communication device, although he'd never seen tech quite like it before. He searched her for weapons, then reached up the front of her shirt and brushed his fingers over her chest. The skin was smooth. None of the wraith had tried to feed on her. He sat back. Whichever one was responsible had obviously stunned her and then gone after him, which meant she wasn't the target. It had probably planned to go back and finish her later, but never got the chance. She was damn lucky, then. And she was damn lucky the dart never picked her up, either.

Another peal of thunder rumbled overhead. He climbed to the top of the hill and studied the northern sky, then looked back down at the girl. He scratched at his cheek. What the hell was he supposed to do with her, anyway? Take her back with him? Leave her in the ditch? He took a few steps toward her, then hesitated. The stun would wear off any time now. She'd wake up before the storm hit for sure, and the wraith were gone for now. She didn't look too beat up, either; she'd be able to get back to wherever she came from in time. He took a moment to go back and collect the weapons off the dead wraith, then sprinted across the clearing and dug himself into the cave.

* * *

Kay couldn't understand why she was floating. The water was cold, or maybe hot. It was everywhere. She sank into it, deep down, deeper every moment, the light high above gradually dying out. She was drowning. Her arms didn't work. They used to work, but now she was drowning and her arms were tied together. Yes, that was it. She was tied up and couldn't move. The water was so hot. She could hear it rushing by as she sank even deeper. She had to get untied. There was a knife in the kitchen. That might help. She'd find the knife and cut the ropes. She was getting colder by the minute. It was completely dark now. Her back was scalding. Someone was touching her, probably a wraith. Probably the big one with the gun. No, not a gun, a stunner. They'd shown her pictures of them. Wraith and stunners. She saw them and burrowed under the blankets. Maybe that's why she was so hot.

Her eyes flew open. A gray sky hung low overhead and dry soil was encasing her on all sides. She sat up with a shriek and immediately fell back again. The world was spinning in circles. Her legs were numb. She lay as still as possible, choking on panicked sobs, trying to piece together what had happened. She remembered standing by the gate, Dr. Wyatt dropping the tablet, Major Lorne dialing. Then there was the wormhole, and then what? She sat up again, slowly this time, and could see that she was in a shallow ditch. Everything beyond it was blurred. She braced her hands against the sides and pulled herself forward.

_Keep calm. Just stay calm._

She eased herself up until she was sitting on the edge, then took in a few slow breaths. Her vision began to clear. Brown grass sloped up sharply behind her and there was a flat clearing in front, with woods beginning just beyond that. This was definitely not Atlantis; not P-586, either. A cold lump settled in her stomach. Where was she? What on Earth happened? Where was the rest of the team? She looked in every direction until her eyes hurt, but saw nothing other than the same withered grass and trees. She'd have to stand to get a better view. She struggled to her feet and felt them wobble, but found her balance somehow and took a few shaky steps. A tingling sensation began in her feet. After a few more steps, the tingling grew stronger and began to creep up both legs. It hurt badly enough, but she took that as a good sign. Injury-wise, pain was better than numbness. She paused and glanced at her surroundings again. The trees on the other side of the clearing grew close together, and something told her that getting underneath them would be safer than standing out here in the open. She began to make her way across and noticed an overgrown path off to her right. She followed it up a slope and in among the trees, then sat down against one to catch her breath. Her legs were getting better every minute, but her mouth was parched and she began to wonder what had happened to her backpack. There were several water bottles left in it, besides the military canteen and iodine—

Everything came back in a rush. Stepping through the gate, finding herself here by mistake, waiting for someone to come after her. And the dart. She huddled against the tree and searched the sky, listening for that terrible screaming sound or footsteps. But she seemed to be the only one here, and anyway, if those wraith were still around, they would have sniffed her out by now. She suddenly became aware of a cramp in her lower back, and remembered that part, too. There were two coming after her—or three, she wasn't sure—and the big one had fired. He'd obviously hit, too; she had a dim impression of falling forward and rolling over into that ditch. She rubbed the spot on her back, and shuddered. The skin was still warm.

Another memory began to nag at her. She was running and there was a dark shape above her, a hairy figure waiting to pounce, a panther-like thing or an ape. Or maybe a person? She gave the trees an anxious glance. If there were people or creatures on this planet, would they be friendly?

She jumped up and hobbled along the path until the trees thinned out and the gate was finally opposite her, there in the middle of a dry field. Her backpack was right where she'd dropped it, too, under the DHD. That was a relief, at least. She stumbled across the field and stood staring at the DHD. In her panic, it had slipped her mind the first time, but she remembered with a chill now that dialing Atlantis was useless. Only the military escorts carried IDCs, since Dr. Weir had decided that the more there were floating around out there, the more dangerous it would be for Atlantis. And that was the reason for the escorts anyway, protecting the teams out in the field and making sure they got home safely. And she was supposed to be with Major Lorne and the others right now, not stranded, shut out and alone.

She leaned hard against the DHD. What in the world had gone wrong, anyway? Had the Major dialed incorrectly? She had a hard time believing that. He was one of the sharpest men she'd ever met, and that was saying something. But the truth was, it didn't matter at the moment. She was here now, and had to figure out what to do.

She chewed on her thumbnail and tried to think. The simplest thing would be to go back to P-586 and see if they were looking for her there, but whether or not she could remember the address was less certain. Everyone was required to know the way to Atlantis, IDC or no, but it hadn't occurred to her that she'd ever need to memorize the addresses for any of their off-world assignments. She was never the one to dial the gate, after all; she had never even touched a DHD until today. And if she dialed wrong—if she missed even one chevron—she could end up anywhere in the galaxy.

Her heart began to pound. She shut her eyes and took some deep breaths to slow it down. _In through your nose, out through your mouth. _Her thoughts drifted to her training, all of those endless lectures and slide shows and meetings. But there was a bit about what to do if you were ever separated from your escort, not that it was likely. _These guys are good_, the Staff Sergeant had said. _They know what they're doing, and they'll have you covered at all times._ She resisted the urge to swear and focused in on the sound of his voice until instructions came to her.

_ Step One: Maintain radio contact_. She felt for the headset on her ear. Useless so completely out of range like this. _Step Two: Find cover immediately._ She looked around, decided she was right before about staying under the trees, and walked back to them. _Step Three: If no threat is imminent, find an elevated spot and light your signal flare. _She opened the pack and dug through until she found one, not that it did her any good at the moment. _Step Four: Remain in one place until you are located._

She began to cry. Graduate school had not prepared her for this. Her doctoral thesis did not include information on what to do when you were stranded alone on a strange planet with no way of getting home.

She dried her cheeks and thought about risking it. They would know she was missing by now, so if a wormhole came through to Command without an IDC attached, there was a chance they would assume it was her and open the shield anyway. Or would they? The policies on that were no doubt beyond strict, and besides, it was hard to imagine them putting the entire city—their entire hope against the Wraith—at risk just because she might be dialing in. And what if they didn't open it? She pictured her body soaring through space and slamming into the shield with a _thunk_ that sent all 160 pounds of her into oblivion. A shiver ran down her spine. No way. That was not worth the risk.

But wait—if something did hit the shield, would their instruments register the impact? Or would they hear a _thunk_ with their own ears, for that matter? That was worth a try. She pulled the bottom of her shirt up to create a pouch and began to search for stones light enough to throw but heavy enough to make a solid impact. When her shirt was sagging with a pile of them, she went back and dialed Atlantis. She couldn't remember much Morse Code, but everyone knew _SOS_, and that should be enough.

She took three stones and threw each one as quickly as possible, imagining how they would sound on the other side. _Thunk thunk thunk._ Then she took three more and threw them with a slight pause in between. _Thunk...thunk...thunk._ Then three more quickly._ Thunk thunk thunk._She kept sending her signal until all of the stones were gone.

Then she went back to the treeline. If they understood, they would have to trace the wormhole here, which might or might not even be possible. But if it were, it could take a while. She sat down to wait, trying not to look at her watch. Instead, she fiddled with the stiff blades of grass under her legs and plucked a few up to braid them. They were too dry and crumbled to pieces in her hands. It began to dawn on her to her that she was dry, too. She opened one of the water bottles and sipped on it. The tepid liquid sloshed around in her stomach. If they didn't come for her soon, she'd have to decide what to do next. _Don't look at your watch. It won't change anything. _She looked up to take her mind off time and saw with a jolt that the sky was turning black. It wasn't the black of night, though. Clouds were billowing up one on top of another, thicker and higher than anything she'd ever seen on Earth. It struck her that the air had cooled significantly, too, and her ears were popping. How could she possibly have missed all that? She jumped up and began to study the landscape around her, wondering if there was anything like shelter nearby.

Then water was suddenly pouring down on her. She gave the sky a shocked glance and was immediately blinded. She held her backpack over her head and ducked further into the cover of the trees, but if this was cover, it was worthless. Hair and clothes were already drenched. She plunged forward, but with no idea of where to go. In less than a minute, the path under her feet had morphed into slush, and after another minute, she was sliding down the slope, ankle-deep in mud. She started to sputter and wheeze, but kept picking her way forward. The grove of trees ended and she found herself in the clearing again, now a swamp. She looked up to see exactly where the hill lay and felt water pour into her open mouth. She gagged and plunged into the muck, struggling to get a good breath, mud sucking at her feet. Halfway across, the rain picked up even more, pounding down until it hung like a solid wall in front of her. She cut through it in a panic, but after a few more yards, her foot slid out from under her and she toppled over in a heap. Holding her breath, she groped around and figured she was in the same ditch from before. She stuck her face in her shirt and tried to get a few breaths that way, then turned to her left and groped around some more until she felt the ground sloping up. Yes, this was the hill. And now she knew why her instinct had led her this way in the first place. She remembered seeing a giant rock jutting out from one side of it.

It was impossible to walk up the slope, so she worked her arms into the backpack straps and crawled. Her breaths were all audible now, deep rasps that made her dizzy. It felt like hours before the rock was above her. She curled up tightly against the hillside, but it wasn't enough cover. She'd have to find something else. She braced a hand against the ground and tried to push herself up, but the muddy gravel gave way and she suddenly found her arm sticking into a hole.

Wait—a hole in the hill. A hole with air in it? She clawed at the ground until more gave way and a small opening appeared. She hesitated. It might only be a hollow place carved out by roots, and even if it were big enough to get into, that hole could belong to anything. But if this rain lasted too long, she was going to asphyxiate out here for sure.

She dropped the pack and began to dig. It wasn't hard work; the remaining mud and rocks crumbled away and flushed themselves right down the slope. She shoved her backpack in first, and when it disappeared with plenty of room to spare, she hunkered down and shoved herself in, too.

She collapsed and lay flat on her belly for a full minute, coughing hard, gulping in breaths of dry air. Then she squinted the water out of her eyes and could see that it was roomy enough in here for her to sit comfortably. In fact, the space in front of her was a good five feet deep, and although the ceiling was low, she could have stood partially if her legs weren't so wobbly. The far wall was rounded and looked as if it opened off to the right, and the surface underneath her was jagged gravel. This wasn't just a hole, but a proper cave. She sat up, dripping and shaking, and laughed out loud at her sheer luck in finding it.

But her laughter died when it struck her that it was a little too bright in here. In fact, there were flickers of light dancing on the ceiling and the smell of smoke was wafting right past her nose. A fire; someone else was here. She remembered the ape-shape from up in the tree and stifled a scream. Then came a scraping sound and a shadow on the wall, and before there was time to decide what to do, she found herself staring square into the barrel of a gun.


	4. Incoming Signals

**Random mini-update! Still not sure how this weekend is going to go, but will update for sure if I can. Hope everyone is having a nice week!**

Dr. Weir strode into the room and sat down so hard her chair swiveled.

"Major, what happened?"

Evan stood up and glanced at his team.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Dr. Weir. I dialed Atlantis, sent the IDC, and then sent Katie through. I had no idea she didn't make it."

Dr. Weir frowned. "Why didn't everyone come through together?"

He took a deep breath. "That was my fault. There was a delay right after I dialed. She and I were both waiting, but it looked like it might take a while to sort things out, so I told her she may as well go on ahead." He felt his throat tighten, and cleared it. "I figured we'd be right behind her, but it took so long to get everything together that the wormhole closed. So I dialed again, sent the IDC again, and then that's when the rest of us came through."

Dr. Weir pulled the chair in and leaned on her elbows. "And are you absolutely certain you dialed Atlantis the first time?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm sure I did." He paused to let it all play out in his head again. He was always so careful—he fake-dialed all the time for practice—he could dial Atlantis in his sleep. There honestly wasn't any doubt in his mind that he'd dialed right, but if that was the case, then—

"What the hell happened?" Colonel Sheppard swung around the corner and stopped short when he saw the group gathered there. He gave Dr. Weir a respectful nod. "Sorry to barge in, Doc, but I hear we lost somebody this afternoon."

"I'm afraid that's true, Colonel. The Major and his team were escorting Linguistics off-world, and one of them didn't return. She went through the gate, but never arrived here. The Major says he's sure he dialed Atlantis." She took a second to make eye contact with each person there. "And I believe him."

Everyone hummed their agreement, and the two men standing closest to him slapped him on the back. He breathed out.

"Regardless," Dr. Weir continued, "the important thing is to find out where she is and if she's all right." She pushed away from the desk and walked around it with her fingertips pressed together. "Major, I want you and your team to take Dr. McKay back to P-586 right away. Have him check the DHD to see if anything malfunctioned. Colonel, I want you to organize a search. Get—"

"_Unscheduled off-world activation._"

The announcement made everyone freeze for an instant, then they all parted to let Dr. Weir through and followed her out into the gate room. The tech on duty looked up and answered before she could even ask the question.

"No IDC, Dr. Weir."

"Then don't touch that shield, Private."

The tech nodded.

"Any incoming signals?"

"No, Ma'am."

Sheppard stepped up and spoke close to her ear. "Could that be our girl?"

"I don't know, Colonel," she answered quietly. Then louder, "try to establish radio contact."

The tech flipped a switch on the console and handed his radio headset to Dr. Weir.

"This is Elizabeth Weir, calling Dr. Kathryn Seigrist. Dr. Seigrist, do you copy?" She paused to allow for a response. "Kay Seigrist, do you copy? Please respond." Another pause, longer this time. "This is Dr. Elizabeth Weir calling Kathryn Seigrist. Kay, are you there?" She turned to the tech. "Are you receiving anything?"

He clicked through several screens on his laptop, and shook his head. "No, Ma'am."

"Do you think it's her, Colonel?" She asked under her breath.

He folded his arms and spoke low. "Could be. Could be her headset is broken and she just can't hear us. Those things aren't exactly built to last. Any kind of impact could have damaged it. On the other hand, it could be anybody out there."

"In other words, we don't dare risk it."

"Right." Sheppard pulled on his chin. "I recommend we wait until we know something for sure."

The tech held up a hand for silence. "Just a minute—I'm getting something." He turned one ear toward the gate and focused hard for a few seconds. "There. Does anyone else hear that?"

They all stood still and listened.

_Thunk...thunk...thunk._

"The hell...?" Sheppard leaned in.

_Thunk thunk thunk._

"What is that?" Dr. Weir asked, but no one answered.

_Thunk thunk thunk. Thunk...thunk...thunk. Thunk thunk thunk._

"SOS." Evan dove forward. "It's SOS."

It registered, and everyone drew in a breath. Dr. Weir and Sheppard exchanged a look.

"Sound the alert," she said to the tech."Colonel..."

Sheppard had already run down the steps and was throwing open the emergency weapons locker at the bottom.

"All right, people, we're opening up. Let's move!"

Evan jumped down the steps three at a time, grabbed one of the P-90s off the rack, and checked over his team, who were following right behind him. They positioned themselves next to Sheppard and trained their weapons on the gate just as a dozen others flooded in to back them up. The sound of guns cocking overwhelmed everything else for a moment, and then Sheppard called over his shoulder.

"Now, Doc!"

Evan felt the shield's energy dissipate from in front of the gate, and a few small rocks immediately tumbled into the room. Three more came a few seconds later. One hit him in the shoulder. The rocks continued to come, but no Katie arrived behind them. _Come on, Katie. We're right here—come on through._ The tension in the room increased, and everyone grew eerily still. Those who had been scrambled for backup didn't even know what they were waiting for, and the others seemed to be holding their breath just like he was. He could hear Dr. Weir trying to establish a radio link again.

"Kay Seigrist, come in. Please respond. You're clear to come through the gate."

Three more rocks made their way in, then another wave, and another. Then they stopped coming. A few seconds later, there was a deafening _woosh_ and the wormhole closed.

Guns were lowered all around him and faces blinked at each other, waiting for an explanation or for orders. Sheppard got to his feet and turned to look up at Dr. Weir on the platform above them. She pressed her lips together. Sheppard slid the magazine back out of his gun.

"All right, nice hustle today, people. Dismissed!"

Evan felt like he was moving through water. He returned his weapon to the locker and stood there for a moment, fighting the urge to grab it again and shoot something. This mess was all his fault. DHD malfunction or no, he never should have separated Katie—or wait, was it Kay? Everyone else was calling her that, though she'd never corrected him. But that didn't matter right now. The important thing was, he never should have separated her from the group, and now she was out there, maybe alone, maybe in trouble, maybe anything.

"Don't blame yourself, Major."

He started at the hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Colonel, but—"

"We'll find her. At least we know she's out there." He squeezed Evan's shoulder briefly and then jogged back up the steps.

Evan stood there a minute longer before realizing his team was hanging around close by, waiting for him. He snapped himself out of it, suddenly itching to get to that DHD and have it checked out. If it had malfunctioned, maybe McKay could figure out what went wrong and where it sent her. Because Sheppard was right—at least they knew she was out there. She'd gotten lost on his watch, but he wouldn't let her down again. They'd sure as hell find her on his watch, too.


	5. Telling Lies

Kay's mouth flew open but no sound came out. She stared at the weapon and then past it to a bare arm caked with blood and a big, solid body hunched over. Definitely a man and not some alien creature. His hair was matted solid and the reek of unwashed body filled the whole space. His face was in shadow, but she could feel his eyes scanning her.

"Who are you?"

His voice was a growl and made her hair stand on end. She clutched the backpack to her chest and scooted back, even though there wasn't anywhere to go. He leaned forward and his face grew more visible, high cheekbones, flared nostrils, a hard jaw. Very Tarzan, she thought faintly, though not like the cute Disney version.

"I asked you a question."

His wrist twitched, making the barrel of the gun flick an inch or two closer to her forehead. Bile came up in her throat. She burst into tears and shoved the backpack at him.

"Here. T—take this."

He grabbed it and tossed it off to one side, then shuffled forward to close the distance between them.

"Turn around. Hands on your head."

Her legs felt like Jello, but she managed to scoot around, and shut her eyes tight, wondering what he meant to do. Because whatever it was, he was going to get away with it.

"Don't hurt me."

The sound of her own voice startled her, even though it was barely a whisper. He didn't seem to hear. He put a hand on her hip and slid it up to her armpit, then back down past her waist, and did the same on the other side. Then he reached around and patted her whole front and felt down both legs all the way to her ankles. She somehow understood that he was checking her for weapons, and a sudden memory came back of the two self-defense classes they'd had to take as part of their training. If someone grabbed you from behind, you were supposed to throw an elbow into the assailant's ribs, and if he let go, run like hell.

She eyed the hole in front of her, wondering if there was any chance she could squeeze back out fast enough. It was risky, but she had to do something. She cocked her right elbow and swung it back, but he caught it as if he was expecting her to do that the whole time.

"Don't try anything." He pinned her arm against her side for a moment in silence. "Turn around. Hands where I can see them."

She turned to face him with her hands spread out in front of her, and both were shaking so hard they looked like a terrible imitation of jazz hands. The thought made a hysterical laugh come burbling out of her, and she clapped a palm over her mouth. His fingers tightened on the gun.

"I said, don't try anything."

She eased her hand back up.

He sat down and rested the gun on one knee, the barrel still pointed in her direction. With his free hand, he reached for the pack, dumped everything out and rifled through, but he didn't seem interested in anything there. Then he turned on her again.

"You had a communication device before. Where is it?"

Her hand flew to where the radio headset should have been. She must have dropped it someplace. Or rather, the rain had probably washed it right off her head.

"I don't know." She jumped again at the sound of her voice. "I lost it."

He grunted, but seemed to accept that.

"Who are you?"

She looked from his face to the gun and back again.

_I'm an enemy of the Wraith._

"I'm—uh—I'm a nenomy. An _enemy_. Of the Wraith."

His brow shot up. "A what?"

She stared up at him. Why in the world had she said that, anyway? "Um...I mean...I'm nobody."

"Nobody what?"

"Uh, Kay."

"Kay what?"

"Just...Kay. Seigrist."

"What do you want?"

"Who, me?"

His cheek twitched as if to say, _who the hell else?_

"Oh. I don't want anything. Please let me go."

"What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. Just...it was raining so hard..."

His nostrils flared even more, and he enunciated as if she were an idiot. "No. What are you doing _here_?"

He meant the planet, then. She hesitated. This could be bad, since she didn't dare breathe a word about Atlantis or Earth. Both were classified off the charts out here, and anyway, she could get herself into real danger if the wrong people found out she knew about them.

"I—I'm—lost."

"Lost? What, you push the wrong symbols or something?"

She nodded weakly. "I guess."

He frowned. "You come here by mistake?"

"Yes."

"Then go back."

She chewed on her lips. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just...can't."

She heard his teeth scrape together. "What do you mean, _can't_?"

Her chest tightened. She coughed to stall for time, raking her mind to think of a plausible lie and wondering what level of technology he might be familiar with. That gun looked pretty sophisticated, but he could have gotten it anywhere. She had to come up with something, though, and fast.

"My—my people fear the Wraith a great deal," she began, keeping her eyes on the gravel. She wasn't a very good liar, so the closer she could stay to the truth without really telling it, the better. "They, uh, they have a heavy guard posted at the—" she stopped short. Wait, what might he call the Stargate? The Portal? Ring? Big Mystical Circle? She took a stab in the dark. "They have a heavy guard posted at the, um, the entrance to the World-Bridge." She held her breath.

"So?"

She breathed out. "So, they—er—they have orders to shoot anything that comes through."

Surprise crept into his voice. "Anything?"

"Yes."

"They'd shoot their own?"

She paused; that wasn't quite what she meant, but how was she supposed to explain without bringing the shield into it?

"Well, it's—it's too risky to let just anyone through. You never know when it will be Wraith. They're—my people—are supposed to shoot first and ask questions later."

He snorted at that, and it made her realize she'd left out the most important part.

"I mean, they shoot unless a certain signal is sent first."

He made a noise in his throat. "So send it."

"I can't. I don't have the right device."

"Hmm." He dropped his gaze for a second. "So, you come here by mistake?"

"Yes."

He scratched at the scruff on his chin. "What's the name of your world?"

_What, indeed_.

"Rivendell," she said, and then winced. That was a ridiculous answer. But he couldn't possibly know that; she'd just have to play it out.

"Never heard of it." He sounded suspicious.

"No, you wouldn't have. We—we don't trade much."

He was silent for another moment, but unless it was her imagination, his grip on the gun loosened just a little.

"So...you come here by mistake?"

She managed to look him in the eye. "Yes."

He made another sound in his throat that she couldn't interpret. His hold on the gun was definitely getting lax, though, and that was a very good sign. And the fact that he was sitting here asking questions was another. If he'd meant to do anything to her, surely he would have done it already. Unless he was just sizing up the situation first. And come to think of it, gun or no, he was the one calling the shots here.

"My friends are very powerful," she blurted out. "I'm sure they'll come for me any minute now."

"Then what's the problem?"

He was looking right through her. She sank into herself.

"They'll—I know they'll pay a high ransom for me," she mumbled, then lifted her chin and added, "but only if I'm returned unharmed."

"What—you think I'm supposed to return you?"

Her stomach knotted up. So he wasn't looking for ransom.

"What—what are you going to do with me?"

He stared hard into her eyes while she could count to ten, then shoved his gun into a holster.

"Nothing."

He got to his feet and shuffled around the corner.

She sat there blinking after him for a few seconds with her mouth wide open, then dove forward, crammed the pile things into her backpack, and wiggled out through the hole. Torrential rain be damned. She wasn't staying here. But the rain had actually stopped; it must have stopped as quickly as it had begun. The sun was nearly down now, too, although there was just enough light left for her to see the lake that had been the clearing a little while ago. Mucky water stretched from the foot of the hill all the way to the woods, with branches and leaves and dead critters bobbing around in it. It struck her then that she was shaking so hard her teeth were knocking together. She hadn't particularly noticed the cold with a gun in her face, but the fact was, her hair and clothes were drenched, and she was freezing. And with night coming, it wasn't going to get any warmer out here. And swimming through all of that mess wasn't going to make her any warmer, either.

Tears began to slide down her face all over again. This was very, very bad. Getting back to the gate would be near impossible, even assuming she didn't wander the wrong way and end up totally lost. And say she did find the gate, what then? She'd still be stranded, waiting, just hoping someone came for her. And how much colder would it get tonight, and she sitting around sopping wet? And what if it started raining again? She saw now that being caught in a storm here was not an option. In fact, she was pretty much out of options at this point.

She turned to face the hole again. The Tarzan-man was in there, armed, twice her size, definitely a threat. But he hadn't shot or done anything else to her the first time, and that was...good. Maybe his bark was bigger than his bite. Or maybe he just didn't think she was worth biting. There apparently wasn't anything valuable to him in her backpack, and he must not think she was worth holding for ransom. But whatever his motivation was for threatening her and then letting her go, standing out here was getting her nowhere. She crossed herself and said a prayer to some Saint whose name she couldn't quite remember, then hunkered down, shoved her backpack into the hole, and crawled in after it.


	6. Shoot First

Ronon stirred the fire and dropped a handful of hashnuts into the stone ring. He took a swig of water and stretched out with his head shoved up against one wall so he could put his feet flat against the other. His calves ached and needed a good pull. When they were feeling looser, he remembered that he'd forgotten to clean those cuts on his arms from earlier. They itched like hell now that he thought about it, plus the blood would attract critters. He sat up, drenched a cloth and started scrubbing. The nuts began to crack inside their shells. His stomach rumbled. He finished washing and paused to listen, wondering how long it would take that girl to realize she wasn't going anywhere out there.

"H—hello?"

Not long, then. He reached for his gun. She hadn't been armed either of the two times he'd checked, but it didn't hurt to be careful. She might have been able to assemble a weapon from some of those things in her satchel, and besides, she seemed harmless, and that was the type you trusted least.

"Um, hello? S—sir?"

He positioned himself and took aim. "What do you want?"

"I don't think I can get back to the—to the, uh—" she trailed off for some reason, but he knew what she meant.

"And?" He slid a finger over the trigger.

There was a pause. "I guess—I just wondered—do you have a fire there?"

"What about it?"

"Um, I'm soaking wet, and it's—I'm—" she swallowed so loud it echoed. "I'm cold."

"Get where I can see you."

She came around the bend, saw the gun, and froze. For a second, it looked like she was going to run for it, but she came further in and sank to her knees.

"Is—is it all right if I stay?"

He pointed his nose at her satchel.

"Give me that."

She lifted it across the fire. He took it and shoved it behind him, then holstered his gun and began picking the nuts out of the embers. They scalded his fingers. He dropped them into a pile and sucked on his fingertips to cool them off.

"Does—does that mean yes?"

He looked up. The girl was watching him and shaking visibly. He couldn't tell whether that was from cold or fear.

"Fine."

She mumbled something like _thank you_ and huddled in close to the warmth, but her clothes and hair were drenched and a giant puddle began to form under her. He frowned. All that water would run into the fire and make it smoke. There hadn't been anything like a towel in her satchel, either. He took a blanket off his bedroll, wadded it up and held it out.

"Here."

She leaned away from it. "Oh—what's that for?"

"What do you think?"

He shoved it into her hands and she took it, but got up and shook it out first before wrapping it around herself.

"Uh...thanks."

He checked to see if the blanket would soak up the water, but it kept streaming out from under her.

"No good. You'll have to take your clothes off."

"What?" She moved into a defensive stance. "No..."

He sighed and pointed at the rope strung up on the wall behind him.

"No, hang them up. You're going to put the fire out."

She looked under her seat and saw the muddy stream.

"Oh, right." Her cheeks went red. She glanced between the puddle, the fire, and him a few times. "I'll—let me—I'll be right back."

She dropped the blanket and ducked into the outer chamber, and he could hear her peeling her wet shirt off. There was a loud _squelch_ as she wrung out most of the water, then a few trickles, then she was working it back over her head. She did the same thing with her leggings, or whatever they were, and apparently wrung out her hair, too. Then she crept back in.

"I got most of the water out."

He wondered why she bothered to tell him that. She mopped up the puddle with a corner of the blanket and pulled it around herself again. He watched until he was sure the fire was safe, then scooted onto his bedroll and swung the other blanket around his shoulders. She stared hard into the fire and didn't seem to have anything to say. That was good. Nights here were long this time of year, but he'd be rid of her tomorrow.

He stretched out on his side. There was no way he'd try to sleep tonight, but he didn't have to let his legs cramp up again. He noticed a few stray hashnuts near the bedroll and finished them off. He'd have to get more of those soon. The trees would be full for two or three weeks yet.

"So...does it rain here often?"

He looked up. The girl was giving him a weak smile.

"No."

"Ah. Well, that's a good thing, right?" She let out a nervous laugh. He didn't answer. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "Is, um, is there anyone else living near here?"

"No."

"Oh?" Her eyes darted around the cavern. "No one at all? No...villages?"

"No."

"Ah." She tucked some loose hair behind her ear. "Will—will it take long for the water to recede?"

"Depends." He tossed the rest of the nut shells into the fire. "Three or four days."

"Really?" There was another tense laugh, and she turned sideways to stretch out her legs. "Looks like I'd better get comfortable, then."

"Why?"

"Oh. Well...I'm not exactly going anywhere, am I?"

_The hell you aren't. _"It won't be so bad tomorrow. You can get back to the ring."

"Oh." She chewed on her lips. "But..."

He felt his shoulders go stiff. "What?"

"Only, I can't get back to my people, remember?"

"Then go somewhere else."

She fiddled with the edge of the blanket. "Actually...I don't know how to get to anywhere else. I only know the way home."

"Huh." He chewed on that for a minute, but decided he could believe it. Not everyone traveled through the rings much, and this girl didn't exactly look experienced. But it didn't matter. He knew how to get to plenty of places. "I'll send you through."

She flinched. "Pardon?"

"I'll punch some symbols for you."

"What?" She stared at him as if he'd offered to skin her alive. "Where will you send me?"

"To a village."

"What village?"

He shrugged. Who the hell cared which one, as long as it wasn't here.

"Someplace you can ask around. Try to find your people."

"I see." She worked her hands together in her lap and spoke so low he could barely hear. "Listen, I really don't mean to be any trouble, but...is there any particular reason I can't stay here?"

He glanced at the bundles stacked against the wall, the food and weapons and other supplies he'd managed to gather the last few years. No one ever came to this half-dead rock, so it was the perfect place to store things. But now this girl was here, and what did she expect him to do? Leave her behind to pilfer whatever she wanted?

"You just can't. I want you through the ring first thing."

She shrank deeper into the blanket, but nodded. "Will you—I mean, if anyone comes looking for me here, would you at least promise to tell them where you've sent me?"

He almost laughed. No, of course he wouldn't promise that. Or couldn't. It wasn't as if he knew where he'd be twenty hours from now. Or ten. Or one.

"Maybe."

"_Maybe?_"

"You heard me."

"But—"

"_You heard me_."

Her mouth hung open. For a second, he thought she was going to argue, but she only drew in a long breath.

"Can—can I at least get something out of my bag?"

"What?"

"Water."

He decided to allow that and handed the satchel over, but kept his hand near the holster while she dug around in it. She finally came up with a clear bottle that looked like glass, but which seemed too light to be that.

"What is that?"

She looked at him sideways. "Uh, water?"

"The container."

She dropped her eyes and took a slow drink. Her hand on the bottle shook a little.

"I—I can't remember what it's called. We traded for some of these. They hold water very well."

He studied her face. "Who did you trade with?"

"Just...some people we met," she mumbled. "Strangers."

"Who?"

She picked at her fingernails. "I don't know. I, uh, never saw them myself. They said they were from far away."

"Where?"

"I don't know. They just said _far_."

"What were they called?"

"I don't know."

"They threaten your people or something?"

She looked up. "Why would you ask that?"

He thought the answer was obvious. "Makes you nervous talking about them."

"Oh, right. I mean no, they didn't, but they were very powerful. I guess we were afraid of them."

"How powerful?"

She worked her mouth as if she didn't know how to answer, but that didn't surprise him. She hadn't been in contact with them herself, and others might not have told her much. Her leaders would know, though, or whoever did the trading. Her Chieftain would know for sure.

He eased himself up. "What else did you trade off them?"

She hesitated, then held up the water container again. "Um—well—these. And m—my clothes. And...I don't know, really. A few other things."

He sat up straighter. "Your communication device?"

She nodded slowly.

He shrugged the blanket off. "Anything else? Weapons?"

She fumbled with the lid to her water. "I—I don't know."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "But you said your people shoot everything that comes through the ring. Yes?"

"Y—yes."

"What about darts?"

"What—about them?"

He flared his nostrils. "What do they _do_ about them?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, but didn't answer.

"They can shoot them down, can't they?" He got to his knees. "And they didn't send a hiveship?"

"What?"

"A hiveship."

"Sorry...?"

"Hiveship. Wraith." The words made his stomach churn. "They didn't send one to blow your world out of the sky?"

"Oh." She gave him a small shrug. "No, they—they haven't found us. We abandoned the other world and went into hiding some time ago."

Pain stabbed through his chest. What was it like, being able to just hide like that? He forced his voice to come out calm.

"Did your people build that weapon?"

She peered into the fire for a few seconds, as if deciding what to say. "No, they didn't."

"They trade for it, then? With those strangers?"

"Actually, they found it."

"Found it."

She met his eye, and nodded.

"Where?"

"I honestly don't know. On a world someplace. I do know that it's very old."

He sat back. Ancestor technology, then. He'd heard of people sometimes digging up strange devices that turned out to be useful, or deadly, or both. It was dangerous messing around with anything that advanced. But at least it told him what he needed to know about the people of Rivendell. Seemed they were just crude enough that he didn't want any of them cutting him open.

But what about those strangers from nobody-knew-where? Just how powerful were they? He tugged on his chin. The girl didn't know much; it seemed he'd have to get to Rivendell himself to learn more, but that would mean finding it first. Or rather, it would mean helping this girl find some of her people first. He watched her across the fire, huddled up, still shaking, small, unarmed. A shudder passed through his body and a long string of attacks from the last few years flashed past him in the firelight. He clamped his eyes shut. No, it would be wrong to stay with her. She was here, but she hadn't done anything to him.

He took some breaths to steady his heartbeat and looked her over again. Her clothes were unusual and she had some unusual tech, too, but if the dart-shooting weapon didn't come from those strangers along with the other things, then maybe they weren't so powerful after all. They might just be scavengers and traders. Could be they scrounged things up after cullings, or maybe they'd found things left behind by the Ancestors, too. Maybe they only fooled villagers into believing they were strong so they could get more out of trades. Besides, strength was relative where the Wraith were concerned. Sateda was a strong world once, too.

He suddenly felt tired. He was tired of this girl, tired of thinking, tired of talking. He propped himself up against the wall and fixed one eye on her.

"Sleep if you want. I'll watch."

Her face went red and she pulled the blanket up under her chin. "Um, no, thanks."

"Fine."

But it was going to be a long night, and no sleep again. She'd be gone for sure tomorrow, though, and then he could move again. And the next time anyone showed a face around here, maybe he'd just make like the people of Rivendell. Shoot first and ask questions later.

* * *

Kay squirmed out of the hole and stood up on stiff legs. The world began to tilt and she clutched at her head, willing the movement to stop. When it didn't, it occurred to her that her last meal had been lunch on P-586, which was about twenty-two hours ago on her watch. Her bladder was full, too, although that would have to wait for now. She sank down right there and dug into her backpack for a power bar, silently thanking the Major for making them lug these bags around everywhere they went. And she probably had her lucky stars to thank, too, since for some reason, the Tarzan-man had let her keep it last night. She wolfed the bar down in three bites, not wanting to have to explain what it was. He must have laid eyes on every last thing in her backpack when he rummaged through it yesterday, but he hadn't asked any questions until she'd taken out her water bottle. And although he'd apparently bought the story about her people having traded with some mysterious strangers, she didn't figure it was wise to remind him that most of the things she owned weren't exactly from around here.

She was choking down the third bite when he poked his head and shoulders through the hole. She scooted to one side to give him room and stuffed the wrapper into the bottom of the bag. He crawled out and stood, and she found herself craning her neck to look at him. Funny how he hadn't seemed so tall hunched over in the cave. He must have a full ten inches on her, though. It was a good thing she hadn't realized that last night. He was terrifying enough hunched over. She had a sudden flashback from Harry and the Hendersons and gave his knees a dry smile. Well, maybe _Sasquatch_ was a better name for him than _Tarzan_. He was damn near tall enough, and the smell certainly fit.

He slung some kind of bundle onto his back and waded into the lake in front of them.

"Come on."

She got up and gave the water an anxious glance. A good deal had receded during the night, but there was an oily red film on top now and the number of dead critters floating in it had doubled. She took a few tentative steps in and gasped. Ice-cold. She backed up and peered across, trying to judge how far it was from this side to that. Probably less than a quarter-mile, which wasn't too bad. The Tarzan-man was a good distance in already, too, and the water was only up to his waist, so it couldn't get very deep. But a swollen critter came bobbing past her toes just then, and the power bar burbled in her stomach. She began to wonder what he would do if she refused to go. He obviously wanted her off-world as soon as possible, and he was the one calling the shots here. But even if she'd wanted to wade across all that mess, the idea of leaving this place just didn't sit right. Staying here alone with a terrifying stranger was hardly ideal, but it felt stupid to go anywhere else. If a rescue party did come, they might never find out where he'd sent her, since he wouldn't make any promises there.

The critter floated on, and she turned to watch until it was out of sight around the foot of the hill. Other than those little things, he seemed to be the only living creature on this entire planet. Based on his behavior thus far, she supposed he was a fugitive, or at any rate, he'd been living alone in the wilderness for some time and intended to keep it that way. And her gut told her it wasn't because he was the Walden type. She could still feel his eyes on her from last night, pinning her down for hours on end, his face stiff as a rock. He hadn't slept, or eaten, or chatted, or peed, or hardly even blinked. The thought of that gaze made a shudder run up her spine. No, like it or not, she was going. Crossing this man was much stupider than leaving.

She turned toward the water again and found that he was splashing back toward her, only ten feet away.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh. N—nothing."

She plunged in and began to pick her way forward. He waited until she passed him, then fell in right behind. She began to shiver, and it wasn't from the temperature of the water. It would have been better if she'd just followed him in the first place. Then he'd be way out in front instead of breathing down her neck. Plus, he might have cut a path through all of these dead animals for her.

The water grew deeper and she slid her backpack off to hold it over her head. Bloated fuzzy bodies bobbed against her chest and she held her breath to keep the stench out. They waded on, everything silent except for the deep _slosh slosh_ of their legs underwater. It wasn't far to go now, which was good, because the icy water had made everything in her belly contract and she was close to wetting herself. She tried to slosh faster, but her foot caught on something and she suddenly slid under. The shock of cold surrounding her head made her take in a breath, and then there was a stabbing pain in her chest and an oily taste everywhere. She pushed down with her feet but only slid again, and now her arms were tangled in the backpack. She pushed again but it was too slippery and she couldn't find the surface. Then her shirt felt too tight and something was clawing into her back, and the Tarzan-man was pulling her out. He gripped her by the scruff until her feet were under her and she'd coughed up all of the water. It probably only took a few minutes, but felt like hours before she could breathe again.

"Th—thanks," she finally managed. He said nothing.

They made it to the far side and climbed up the muddy slope. By now, her bladder was ready to burst. She dropped the backpack and stumbled straight into the nearest clump of bushes.

"Just a minute."

He followed right behind. She paused with her hands on her waistband.

"Oh. Uh, can you give me a minute?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Um, why do you think?"

He grunted his understanding, but stayed where he was. "Go ahead."

She felt her cheeks go hot. "Can't you just...give me a minute?"

He crossed his arms, still giving her that suspicious look. She gaped up at him. Seriously, what did he think she was going to do? Shoot him in the back with an invisible gun? Sprout wings and fly away?

"Then please—just—turn around?"

He did that, at least. She pivoted to make sure everything would run downhill and slid her pants off. It seemed to take forever. Her legs weren't up to squatting and started to shake after four seconds. And there was nothing to wipe with and she sprayed her pants a little, not that either thing really mattered now that she was soaked with oily critter-water. She tugged her pants back up and went to fetch her bag. He pointed up the path and made her take the lead again, then followed so closely behind that she could smell him the entire way.

When they reached the clearing, he pushed ahead and put a hand out to stop her, then took a cautious step up to the tree-line and began to scan the area around the gate. She leaned against a tree, struggling to catch her breath and wondering whether it would be all right to open another water bottle. There were three left, plus the canteen, but since she had no idea what would be waiting for her on the other side of the gate, it wouldn't hurt to save them. He'd said he was going to send her to a village, and she could only hope it was one with people willing to help her. She was going to need food and a place to stay until someone found her.

She felt tears stinging her eyes, and blinked them back. There was really nothing to do now but go where the Tarzan-man sent her and make the best of it. She'd been to several of the villages the teams had been in contact with, so she knew how to interact, and the inhabitants were usually friendly. If she could get work somehow, maybe gardening or cleaning—

The gate sprang to life. She straightened up and burst into a laugh of sheer relief just as the Tarzan-man seized her arm and dragged her back into the woods. He shoved her into a thick tangle of bushes and forced her to the ground before swinging himself up into a tree. It all caught her so off guard that she didn't have time to react. But after staring up at him for a second, she began to stand again.

"No, get down!"

She ignored him and got up, squinting to see the gate through the trees.

"But it's my people, I'm sure. They must have found a way to follow me here."

She checked all around herself, trying to figure out how to get out of the bushes without tearing her clothes too badly. Or worse, rather, since her pants were already snagged in several places. Then a burst of heat by her leg sent her heart into her throat. She gave the tree a shocked glance. The Tarzan-man was pointing that gun at her.

"Get. Down."

She obeyed. So then, it seemed he was going to hold her for ransom after all. Or maybe he just wasn't going to let her go, period. Maybe he was going to shoot the entire rescue party and then finish her off, too.

The last chevron locked and she could hear the wormhole burst out of the gate. Her chest tightened. There had to be a way to warn them. She couldn't just sit here and watch them get picked off one by one. But her radio headset was lost and making a run for it was no good. She'd be dead long before she got free of the bushes.

She took a deep breath. All they needed was a warning, just a moment to arm themselves and find cover. She'd yell as loudly as possible until he shot her into silence.

But a second later she was slapping a hand over her mouth. Peering between the waxy leaves, she could just make out the lanky figures of two wraith stepping out of the wormhole. Both had spear-like weapons in hand. She looked into the tree and could tell that he saw them, too. His head was lowered, his gun was drawn, and there was an ugly knife in his other hand. He locked eyes with her, and she somehow understood that he was telling her to stay put.

She ducked down and froze, listening hard. The only sound was her own breathing, and that was too loud. She closed her mouth and drew air in through her nose as slowly as possible. She clenched every muscle in her body and dug her fingers into the dirt to stop herself from shaking. The Tarzan-man wasn't moving, either; the tree above her was completely still. Nothing happened for a minute, maybe two. The wraith were too far away to hear their footsteps or speech, although she reminded herself that they didn't need to speak, not to each other. The idea was so bizarre, so not-human, that she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming.

They reached the path leading into the woods. She could hear their feet come squelching over the muddy ground, deliberate steps, closer and closer. They paused, she couldn't tell how far away. Several seconds passed. She couldn't control the shaking now; she was making the leaves around her quiver. They were going to find her for sure. Then there was a blast from above and an explosion of rustling. Both wraith dived into the woods. One tore past her hiding-place and stopped, maybe ten feet behind her. The other must have gone the opposite way. More shots came from above, and then both were firing at the tree. She could see streaks of hot light flashing against the brown leaves. The exchange went on and on, and then there was a heavy _thud_ and the sharp crackle of feet on twigs. A howl came from across the path and the wraith nearby ran off to her right. The other crossed over and went in the same direction. Their footsteps grew fainter and fainter until the woods around her were quiet. Then the coldness in her stomach wouldn't be choked down anymore, and she turned and retched in the dirt.

She wiped her mouth and tried to think. Should she run for it now, while they were off chasing the Tarzan-man? And if so, where? The gate was useless without any addresses. Stay put, then? Or find another place to hide? Maybe try to make it back to the cave? That wasn't a bad idea, if she could get there fast enough. But the lake part would take forever. Was there another way to get to the hill? Could she come around from behind somehow?

An unearthly yowl cut her thoughts short. She clapped her hands over her ears in sheer terror and let out an audible whimper. A second yowl followed before she had even recovered from the first. She shut her eyes, but put her hands down and made herself listen. Everything was silent except for the soft swishing of leaves in the breeze. A moment later, there were footsteps again. She waited, but there was only one set this time, coming straight toward her. She clenched her teeth and prayed.

"You—girl. Come out."

She eased herself to her feet, almost afraid to trust her own ears. But the Tarzan-man was there, blood on one cheek, cuts on both hands and shoulders, a swollen eye. He had the spear-like things tucked under one arm. He motioned without saying a word and began to head down the path toward the gate.

"W—wait!"

He paused to glance over his shoulder. "_Come on._"

"But...what...they...why..."

"_Now_."

She untangled herself and wobbled down the path. When he seemed to feel sure she was following, he jogged straight to the DHD and began to dial. She caught up just in time to see the event horizon bubble into the atmosphere. He was standing rigid, his face the stoniest she'd seen it yet. She decided not to ask any questions, and supposed he would just sort-of usher her through, but he seized her arm again and walked her forward.

"Wait—what's happening?"

He kept his eyes on the gate. "We're leaving."

"Oh. But I thought you were sending me to—"

The wormhole swallowed them up.


	7. Ronon's Resolve

Ronon let go of the girl's arm and ducked down behind the activation device. The sun was coming up and half blinded him, but he was still able to get a decent look into the forest. It was quiet, just like always. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting the girl to be crouched right behind him. She was standing out in the open, twenty feet away.

He glared at her across the space. "Come on."

She began to back up toward the ring. "Why? Where are we going?"

He closed the distance between them and took her arm again. "Just come on. I need to get something."

He went the long way around and took them in a few circles first to make sure she wouldn't remember how to get there. When they were close but not too close, he left her standing by a big tree.

"Wait here."

She looked ready to vomit, but he could tell she'd stay put. He ran straight to the spot where the river split into two, dug up his box, and took out a spring-trap. Then he dug a trench next to it for the two Wraith blasters, since those were much too bulky to lug around. When everything was covered again, he went back to find the girl.

She was hunkered down under the tree, gripping her knees. He found himself pausing behind a shrub to watch. She sat there rocking back and forth for a moment, then jumped up and began to pace around, peering into the trees as if expecting a wraith to drop down on her head any second. She practically crashed through the undergrowth, stumbling over roots and rocks as if she'd never set foot in a forest before. Even from this distance, he could hear her belly rumbling, as if she'd never had to go a single day without food. And that was obvious anyway, since her body was curved and soft, as if she'd never had to run from anything in her entire life.

_Well, they were very powerful. I guess we were afraid of them._

He breathed out, long and slow. The people who could shoot down a dart, who were hidden so deep that the Wraith couldn't even find them, were intimidated by those strangers. And he'd convinced himself that they were only scavengers and traders. The truth was, he was tired of chasing down false leads, tired of getting his hopes up for help. Maybe those strangers could do something for him, and maybe they couldn't. Or maybe they _wouldn't_. Hell, maybe they'd just shoot him on sight. But if there was even a small chance...

He felt a warm line on his cheek and touched it. Blood. There was always blood after a fight. Just how many buckets of it had he lost in the last seven years? He stood staring at the smear on his fingertips and his vision suddenly blurred. Wraith came from every direction and surrounded him, weapons trained on his face. A big one lunged from behind a tree and drove a curved blade into his chest. The spot between his shoulders blistered and burst open. He turned to look and saw his house, swallowed up in a red blaze. Buildings were crumbling all around him. The big wraith came at him again and he fell over hard. The ground was shaking, or maybe that was him. There were leaves underneath him now. They were waxy and cool on his cheek, but there was blood everywhere. Maybe he would finally bleed to death.

"Are—are you all right?"

The voice stunned him like cold water. He rolled onto his back and squinted. The girl was standing over him, face completely white. He clenched his jaw and sat up slowly.

"Yeah. Fine."

He turned away and eased himself to his feet, bracing one hand against a tree. He could hear her take a few steps back.

"Are—are you hurt?"

_Always. _He let go of the tree and stooped to gather his things. "No."

"Are you sure?"

He faced her. She had a hand to her throat and her eyes were wide. He didn't blame her. It was happening more and more lately, but no one had ever seen.

_Help me_. _Please. _"I'm fine. Come on."

He led the way back to the ring and took her through to another empty place, a world where he knew it would be night, but where the water was pure and worth fetching. When they walked out into the dim light, the girl froze.

"Wait—where are we now?"

"We can talk here."

"Talk? I thought you were sending me to a village."

He put a hand on her shoulder and steered her across the grass toward the stream just south of the ring.

"Change of plans. I'm coming with you."

"Wait—what?"

"I'll help you find your people."

"What?" She jerked away and squared herself to look straight at him. "Um, _why_?"

"You said they'd pay a reward for you."

"Oh." She shrank back. "Then you're going to hold me for ransom after all?"

He flinched. True, she'd said they would pay out a ransom, not a reward. Not quite the same thing.

"No. Just looking for a reward."

"I see." There was a long pause. "So...how much, exactly, are you expecting them to pay?"

"I won't ask much." It wasn't money he even wanted, only information, but she didn't need to know that. "I'll work that out with your Chieftain later."

She turned her back, but he could hear her wringing her hands in the darkness.

"Um, I'm not sure, actually. I think...I think maybe it would be best if you just sent me to that village." Then she spun around and stepped in close to meet his eye. "Would you do that now, please?"

Shit, she was testing him. If he said no, it would make her no better than a prisoner.

"You can trust me," he offered. "You'll find your people faster if you go from place to place and ask around."

"True, but can't you just give me a list of add— I mean, can't you just show me the way to some different worlds?"

"Not safe, you travelling alone."

He held his breath. She had to see that was true, at least. _She's not safe with you, either, wraith-bringer._ The ground threatened to lurch under his feet. He braced them and dug a hand into his thigh.

"Listen, I could use the payout." He cleared his throat, tried to sound friendly. "I help you, your people help me. It's a good deal."

She studied him for a bit with her lips pressed together. His guts knotted up. _Come on, girl. Please. _After a moment, she finally gave him a small nod.

"All right. This sounds...as good as anything, I guess."

"Good." He held both hands out, palms facing the ground. "Deal?"

She gave his hands a confused glance, but nodded again. "Mmm."

That was good enough for him. He stripped off his water pouch and dunked it into the stream.

"Come on. Fill up and let's get going."

She crept up and stuck a finger in the water. "Um...I'm all right, thanks."

He shrugged, took a long drink and splashed his face to get the blood off. Then he stood up and counted hours out on his fingers. It was early morning when they left the world with the cave, so it should just be turning to evening in the fishmonger's village. The market was probably closing, but it would be a good place to start anyway.

"Ready?" He asked, even though the girl had just been standing in that one spot the whole time, staring at him.

"Mmm."

He jogged back to the ring and was just about to punch in the first symbol when she caught up.

"Actually, wait."

His belly dropped; she was going to back out after all. Well, maybe she was smarter than he thought.

"What?"

"I've just been thinking." She looked at the ground. "I suppose you don't want me to know your name, but is—um—is there something I can call you?"

He blinked. True, he hadn't told her his name. She hadn't asked, and he hadn't bothered. He didn't have run-ins with people much out here, but the ones he did have made him nothing but enemies. It seemed she was afraid of asking him too many questions, which was good. Most likely, she thought he was a criminal or fugitive or something. She couldn't know the truth or she would never have agreed to stay with him. Best to keep her as much in the dark as possible and hope they got somewhere before she did figure things out.

"Call me whatever you want."

"Oh." She chewed on her lips for a moment, and then a strange smile flashed across her mouth, dry or serious or maybe even sad. "Well, what about Harry?"

"Harry?" That was the weirdest name he'd ever heard. He thought about asking what it meant, but decided it didn't matter. "Fine."

"Good. Thanks."

"That it?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm ready."

She came to stand beside him on the crumbling platform. Her hands were clenched. He looked her over out of the corner of his eye. _I'm sorry, girl. I'm sorry. I won't let them feed on you. _He punched in the symbols before he could change his mind, and they both plunged into the water.

* * *

**A/N: On why Kay is calling Ronon "Harry". :)**

**Hello, all! I had a question after this chapter about why Kay has decided to call Ronon "Harry", and realized that it was a very good one, because it then occurred to me that not everyone has necessarily seen the movie I was referencing. So, my apologies for any confusion there, and for those of you who haven't seen Harry and the Hendersons: **

***clearing throat* **

**So the Henderson family, on vacation in the mountains someplace, accidentally runs over a big hairy creature that turns out to be the fabled Sasquatch (Big Foot). Thinking he's dead, they bring him home, but find out very quickly that he isn't. After he wreaks havoc on their house for a bit, they basically discover that although he is enormous and terrifying, he is also extremely kind and gentle. They name him "Harry" and decide to hide him from the bad guys who want to catch him. So when Kay sees Ronon standing up for the first time and is struck by how enormous and terrifying he is, she immediately thinks of Harry the Sasquatch from the movie. And later, when she has the chance to choose a name for him, that's the first name she thinks of.  
**

**So anyway, this random flashback from the 80s was brought to you by the letter H and the number 10. :)**

**Cheers and best to you all, and thank you so much for being here! 3 3 3  
**


	8. Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?

Kay stepped away from the Gate and turned to look up at the Tarzan-man, or Harry, or whatever his name really was. He was scanning the area with his eyes narrowed and his hand resting on the hilt of that gun. When he seemed satisfied, he straightened his shoulders and pointed at a stone-lined path leading into the woods.

"That will take you to the village. And be quick."

"Aren't you coming with me?" As soon as the question was out of her mouth, she knew it was a stupid one. Of course he wouldn't show his face in public if he were wanted someplace.

"I'll wait here. Be quick."

"I'll try." She gripped the hem of her shirt and stood there a moment longer. "So...see you later?"

"Yes. _Go_."

She jogged up the path until Harry and the Gate were out of sight, then slowed her steps and tried to pull her thoughts together. Her stomach was still churning over his sudden decision to come along and help, whatever that meant. He'd made it clear that he needed a reward, but the truth was, she had no idea what Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard would be willing to do for him when the time came. She couldn't imagine them wanting to aid and abet a criminal, even if they appreciated her bringing one home to Atlantis to begin with. And what if she never found a way back? What would he do with her then?

She sat down next to the path and chewed on a fingernail. If she wanted to slip away from him, now was the time to do it. These villagers, or whoever lived here, might take her in and protect her. But then again, Harry could have done a world of hurt to her already if he'd wanted to. She didn't have any reason to trust him, but didn't really have a reason not to, either. And he was right about one thing: there was a better chance of getting in contact with the others if she went from place to place looking for them. Staying on the cave planet wasn't an option, since the Wraith apparently hung around it for some reason. What could they have possibly wanted there?

The thought of those attacks made her jump up and keep moving. She had to get home, had to figure this out, and criminal or no, Harry seemed like her best chance for that.

She came in sight of the nearest buildings belonging to the village and paused. What in the world was she supposed to ask for, anyway?

_ Hello, I'm looking for a way to break into the Lost City of the Ancients. Have you ever heard of it?_

_ Can you please tell me the way back to Earth? You know, little blue planet in the Milky Way?_

_ Have you met any people walking around carrying P-90s? Why, yes, I do belong to them. Oh, you're with the Genii? Perfect. Would you please kidnap me now?_

Her eyes welled up, but she tightened her ponytail and kept walking. There really was nothing to do now but wing it.

The path stopped at the edge of an open space where fifty or so people were gathered, milling around among booths or stalls. That looked like a marketplace of some kind; a good place to start, even though most of the vendors were closing up shop for the day. The booth closest to her had a bony old man shuffling around it, pulling a tarp over the entire thing. He didn't look too chatty; she decided to skip him. The next booth was empty, and the one across the way had two small children stacking fruit into bowls. She kept going. _How __the hell__ is this supposed to go? _S_omebody help me out here, please._

"A good evening to you, stranger."

Kay pulled herself up short and blinked at the chesty girl blocking her path.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't—I mean—" she remembered to smile and took a polite step back. "A good evening to you, too."

The girl had both brows arched and was scrutinizing Kay from head to toe. "And I see that you truly are a stranger here. What brings you to our village?"

Kay glanced down at her clothes and could feel her face getting warm. True, she couldn't look less like a native in her purple joggers and UCLA t-shirt. Standing out like a sore thumb wasn't going to do her any favors, not if she was trying to keep herself from falling into the wrong hands. She took a breath and smiled again.

"I've come to trade, of course. I'm in desperate need of something new to wear."

The girl brightened. "Then you're in luck. I'm the clothier here. Come with me."

She led the way deeper into the market and Kay trailed behind, making a quick mental list of everything in her backpack. First aid kit, canteen, water bottles, power bars. Notebooks, pens and pencils, two Linguistics references, sunglasses, chapstick. There was also a flashlight and those emergency flares. She wondered what this girl might find valuable enough to trade for clothes, assuming she could sell Kay something other than just fabric and supplies. It would be impossible to sew something together on the fly out here, even if she could sew worth a damn in the first place. She really was out of luck unless this girl could offer—

"Ready made. See?" The girl beckoned Kay into her booth and gestured at a collection of skirts, trousers, and tops.

Kay breathed out. "Very pretty. All your own work?"

The girl beamed. "Yes, all mine. Here—look at this stitching."

Kay looked and pretended to be impressed, even though she couldn't tell one stitch from another.

"And here." The girl pulled a blouse down off a hook in the wall. "This is the softest cloth you'll find anywhere."

Kay fingered it. "That's very nice. But before I look at anything, we should probably discuss—"

"Size?"

The girl turned and nudged open a box on the ground behind her. Kay felt herself flushing again. She was going to say _price_, but while they were at it, would size be a problem?

"Size is no difficulty here. I can fit anyone." She fished a few pieces out and held them up for Kay to see. "There. What do you think?"

Kay thought they all looked expensive. She reached for the plainest skirt of the three, a simple brown a-line without any decoration.

"What about this one?"

The girl nodded. "Very practical. Durable, too. That will last you through anything. There—try it on." She motioned toward a small curtained area in the back.

Kay liked the sound of _last through anything_, and ducked behind the curtain. Her pants were still sticky from that critter-water on the cave planet; she peeled them off and slipped the skirt on. There was a draw-string to make it just right around her waist, and the length was perfect.

"I like it," she said through the curtain.

"I thought that would be a good fit." The girl sounded proud. "But here—you'll need this." She shoved in a green top made of something cotton-like, with long sleeves and leaf-shaped stitching around the neckline.

Kay hesitated. "That's very pretty, but I'm not sure I can afford it. Shouldn't we discuss a trade first?"

"Just try it on."

The girl waved it around until Kay took it. She tossed her t-shirt aside and slid the new top over her head. It was even softer than it looked, and fit as if it were custom-made. She pushed the curtain back, and the girl clapped her hands.

"Perfect! I knew they would be." She took Kay by the shoulders and spun her around to face a tall metallic slab that reflected just enough for her to catch a blurry version of herself. She couldn't help thinking that she looked like a tree, but it was still a pretty effect.

"Well, then. Will you have them?"

Kay turned toward her. "I—I'd like to take them very much, but what would you want—" She froze when she saw the girl's eyes fixed on her throat. Or rather, on Nanny's solid gold cross, the one she'd handed down just a week before her stroke. Kay knew that she should never have worn it out on assignment; she always knew, and always wore it anyway. Because the truth was, it was just too hard for her to take it off.

Her fingers were trembling, but she undid the clasp. _I'm sorry, Nanny. __This is too important. _She laid the necklace in the girl's palm and stepped behind the curtain to collect her things, then slung her backpack over one shoulder and gave the girl a deliberate smile.

"I thank you very much. A good evening to you."

The girl put out a hand. "Wait—this isn't a fair trade."

"It isn't?" Kay's heart sank; what else was she going to have to give up?

"Here." The girl dug into a pile and came up with a blue cloak made from something heavy like wool, with smooth wooden buttons down the front and a lined hood. "This will keep off rain and cold. What do you think?"

Kay looked from the cloak to the girl and back again. That was a garment worth having. She had no idea what kinds of weather they might encounter out here, or how long they'd be traveling, or what shelter there would be, or anything, really. The ability to keep off rain and cold was exactly what she needed.

"Um...that's very nice, but...I can't possibly afford it."

"Then you're cheating yourself. What you've given me is worth much more than a plain suit of clothes."

Kay's eyes filled. She felt the cloak sliding around her shoulders, and dropped her backpack. The girl did the buttons up and stood back, inspecting the fit. Her face lit up.

"Well. I must have had you in mind when I made that."

Kay caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror-slab and laughed, brushing tears off her cheeks.

"Yes, you must have. This will be so useful to me—I don't know how to thank you."

The girl waved her off. "_Tish_. Everyone needs a good cloak, and mine are the best. Oh, and one more thing." She opened another box on the floor and fished out a pair of leggings. "For extra warmth."

Kay started to thank her further, but a bell sounded just then from somewhere in the village. The girl grabbed Kay's things off the floor and ushered her out of the booth.

"Come. We aren't allowed to sell after twilight."

The crowd had dwindled to about half its size and the sun was beginning to set. Kay gave the sky a frightened glance; she didn't want to trek back through those woods in the dark.

"Now then," the girl said. "What are you going to do with your old things?"

"What—these?" Kay held them up. They were grimy and stank like hell, and the joggers were snagged in a dozen places. "I guess I was going to throw them away."

"May I have them, then? They're unusual—I'd like to see what I can do with them."

"Of course, you're welcome to them, but I'm afraid they'll never come clean."

"No matter." She was busy examining the seams on the t-shirt. "I just want to study the patterns."

The bell rang a second time, and what was left of the crowd began to move away from the marketplace. The smiled one last time and turned to leave.

"It was a pleasure. A good night to you, Stranger."

Kay swallowed hard. "Wait." Now was the time to get some information, now or never. For some reason, she didn't relish the thought of having to tell Harry she hadn't learned anything simply because she was too blank-headed to ask. "Wait—I—I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Uh—" she coughed to buy herself a moment, and then had a thought. "Those clothes. Have you ever seen people wearing anything like them?"

The girl examined them again. "No, I've never seen the likes of these before. Where did you get them?"

Kay feigned a laugh. "Oh, that's a long story. Well...thank you again. Good night."

She turned to leave with her shoulders sagging. They'd have to try somewhere else, and she still had no idea how to get information without compromising herself.

She was two steps from the path when a woman passed by and flashed her a friendly smile. The woman was petite, strong-looking and dark-haired, and reminded her very much of Telya back on Atlantis. Kay froze in her tracks. _Of course._

She sprinted back across the market-place, searched through the small crowd until the clothier was in sight, then caught up and laid a hand on her arm.

"Wait, please."

The girl stopped and cocked her head. "Is something the matter?"

"No, but I need to ask you something." She paused for a second to catch her breath. "Tell me, have you ever traded with a people called the Athosians?"


	9. Strangers Together

**Hello hello! Just wanted to say, many apologies for the update lag; I came down with a whopping case of Bronchitis Lifeus Interruptus. :/ Thanks so much for being here, and hope everyone out there is well! :3**

Ronon crept through the woods alongside the path, squinting to see if he could make out any of the buildings in the distance. The sun was almost down and the girl should be back already. He paused to listen for footsteps. Nothing. He darted onto the path and jogged up it a short space, then listened again. Still nothing. He slipped back into the woods. Maybe she'd gotten herself into trouble in the village. Or maybe she'd just decided not to come back. If she'd found a way to reach her people, she wouldn't really have a reason to. He passed a hand over his face. He'd been here too long. Five more minutes and he was leaving.

The five minutes passed. He pounded a fist against the tree in front of him. _Damn it, girl, __w__here the hell are you? Don't do this. _He paused to listen one last time, then threw his bundle over one shoulder and ran the whole way back to the ring. He stopped short where the trees ended. There was a dark shape out there, someone standing by the activation device. The size and shape were right for the girl, but the clothes were wrong. He stepped out into the open.

"Who are y—?"

She shrieked and stumbled back, clutching her throat. He held out his hands to show he wasn't attacking, and she squinted up at him.

"Damn it, Harry." She let out a long breath. "You scared the piss out of me."

He let out his own breath and crossed to the activation device.

"How the hell did you get past me?" He began to punch in the symbols for the first place that came to mind.

"It was getting dark, so they showed me a short-cut."

"What the hell took so long?"

"Sorry, I had to talk to half the village before I got any information, and I decided I should—"

The portal opened.

"Tell me later."

He took her arm and pulled her through the water. On the other side, he checked to make sure the area was clear, then turned on her.

"You can't take that long. You have to be quicker."

She shrank into herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to loiter or anything. I had to talk to practically everyone there, and it took a while to trade." She brushed a hand over the new clothes. "I thought maybe I should get something else to wear. I'll—I'll blend in more this way."

He stood back to get a better look. Brown skirt and green top, plus a blue cloak slung over one arm. True, she'd blend into the woods much better dressed like a tree.

"Fine." He let his bundle down. "Did you learn anything?"

She sighed. "Not really. Some of them did used to trade with the Ath—I mean, with my people, but no one has seen them for a while. They—_we_—are resettled now, and I guess no one has been back since then."

He kicked the dirt. "Don't you know anything about where your people trade?"

"No." She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Then let's get going." He scooped up the bundle again and started toward the activation device. "There are other places to check."

She took a shaky breath, and he turned to look at her again. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face wasn't the right color. Her belly was rumbling even louder than before. He touched the first symbol, then pulled his hand back. His own belly was empty, too; he hadn't eaten anything since those hashnuts in the cave. Not to mention he hadn't slept for almost thirty hours now. He wondered when the girl had last slept. Except for the wraith stun, she'd been awake ever since he first laid eyes on her.

"Come on."

He activated the ring and took her through. When they stepped out, the sun was already low in the sky.

"Where are we?" The girl's voice sounded strained. "Is there a village here?"

"No, but there's good hunting. And a good place to sleep." He led the way across the field to where the landscape turned hilly. There was a spot where a rounded cliff-face with a slight overhang made the next best thing to a cave. He passed the clump of trees that marked it, checked the space to see if it was dry enough, and dropped his bundle.

"You look for firewood while I—"

The girl wasn't there. He jogged back around the trees and spotted her a quarter-mile away. Her head was down and she was stumbling over the tall grass. He sighed and walked out to meet her. When she saw him getting close, she dug her fingers into the cloak and picked up her pace.

"Sorry, I'm coming." She was completely out of breath.

He reached her and tugged the satchel off her back. "Hurry if you can. The sun will be down in an hour."

He took her cloak and slung it over his shoulder with the satchel. She'd just have to trail behind; there wasn't time to keep pace with her. He had already dug up some fish-root for the trap and started gathering firewood by the time she caught up.

"Get some more wood. I'll catch something."

She was breathing too hard to talk, but nodded.

He turned into the woods and poked around with his foot until the soil gave and a small hole appeared. He laid the trap next to it and moved downwind to wait. The girl was crunching through the woods on the other side of the hill, but was probably far enough away to not scare the critters off. He stretched both legs out and yawned. Damn, he was tired. He wondered if the girl's people would be able to send him straight on to wherever the strangers were, or if he'd have to search for them, too. Maybe they were deep in hiding themselves. Maybe he wouldn't even find them. Maybe all this was a waste of time. Home swam before his eyes, buildings and faces and smoke. He was so fucking tired. Maybe he should just let the damn Wraith finally catch him.

A shrill squeak snapped him out of it. He checked the trap and found a furry corpse tangled in the wires. When he reached the clearing again, the girl was already there with a decent pile of branches and twigs. He set the trap at her feet, and she leaped back.

"What's that?"

"What do you think?" He dropped to his knees and began to set the pile up. "I'll get a fire going. Can you skin that?"

"Uh...I can try."

He remembered that she didn't have a knife, and held one out. "Here."

She took it from him and stared at it for a minute, then knelt down next to the trap. She stared at that for another minute, then reached out and began to fiddle with the wire. He jumped up and snatched it off the ground.

"Not like that. You'll cut your finger off." He released the critter and let it fall on the ground. "There."

"Oh. Right. Thanks."

He tucked a handful of dead leaves into the pile and fished the strike-plate out of his bundle. The girl was frozen to the spot, clutching the knife in white knuckles.

"Is there a problem?"

"What?" Her head shot up. "Oh, no. I'm fine."

He pretended to rearrange the wood so he could watch her. She stretched a hand out toward the critter, then snapped it back and wiped it on her shirt. She sat tensed up for a second, then reached out again, barely brushing her fingers over the fur. He fumbled the branches and had to look down to set them back in place. When he looked up again, she had finally put a hand flat on the critter. But instead of cutting into the pelt, she was...petting it?

He got to his feet. "Hey."

"Um, yes?"

"This." He held out the strike-plate. "Do you know how to use it?"

"I think so."

"Then use it."

He stripped and gutted the critter and ripped a thin, green branch off the nearest tree for roasting it. Then he wiped his hands clean on some leaves and turned back. The girl was bending over the firewood, striking the plate so hard she was breaking out in a sweat. She was doing it right, but it just wasn't catching.

"Those leaves aren't dry enough." He checked to see how much longer the sun would be up. "You look for something here. I'll head to the other side."

"Wait, I have something." She reached for her satchel and pulled out a book. "Sorry, David Crystal. Looks like you're cooking our dinner tonight."

She ripped out a handful of pages, and he shoved them into the pile. The whole thing lit up in no time. He propped the critter over the fire and stood up.

"Come on. There should be some berries just past the woods."

She hauled herself to her feet, but lurched and started to fall toward the fire. He caught her at the last second.

"Whoa, what the—?" He tried to steady her on her feet, but her body felt too shaky. He slid one arm around her back and lowered her down to the ground. "You all right?"

"Yeah." She put her head between her knees and faked a laugh. "Sorry. I'm just...a little light-headed."

He picked up the leftover fish-root and held it out. "Here. You should eat."

She took it and gave it a sniff. "Oh. Um, wow. What is that?"

"You never had it?"

"No, never." She sniffed it again and made a face. "Is it edible?"

"In a pinch. Tastes like hell, but it'll keep you going."

She brushed the dirt off, took a tiny bite, and gagged hard. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

"Eat it." He turned the critter over on the spit. "This'll take a while."

She pinched her nose, bit off a big chunk, and started chewing fast. Her throat moved as if she were swallowing the whole mouthful in one gulp, then she ripped open her satchel and grabbed some water.

"Oh, God help me." Her eyes started to water and she drank down the entire container. "That is literally the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth."

He felt the corners of his mouth twitch. "I told you it tasted like hell."

She let out a quiet laugh. They both fell silent and stared at the fire until the meat was done. He burned his fingers pulling it off the spit, but didn't care. He laid it out on a flat stone and cut it into pieces.

"Come on, it's ready."

He picked up a section and tore into it. The girl scooted over next to the stone and took a piece for herself. She eyed it and turned all kinds of green, but nibbled it down to the bone. He finished off a few more sections and took a long drink from his water-skin. It was already dark. The girl looked ready to collapse. He banked the fire, wrapped the rest of the meat up in waxy leaves, and moved over close to the cliff-face.

"Let's get some sleep."

The girl stood up and threw her cloak around herself. He paused and sniffed the air, trying to get a feel for how cold it would turn overnight. It didn't smell like rain, but they'd want the blanket. He stretched out on his back and unrolled it over himself, then held up the edge to let her under. She sat down ten feet away and pulled her hood up.

"Oh, I'll be fine, thanks. This cloak is very warm."

He propped himself up on one elbow. "It'll get cold."

"It's all right." She tucked her knees under her chin and leaned against the rock wall. "I'll be fine."

"Suit yourself." He lay back and shoved the bundle under his head for a cushion. The girl shuffled around in her seat, probably trying to find a better spot on the rocky ground. He could feel the temperature dropping already, even though the sun had been down for less than an hour. _Stupid girl. You don't have to be cold. __Why—?_ A thought hit him then. His face went hot.

"Uh...hey." He cleared his throat. "I meant what I said before. You can trust me."

He could feel the girl's eyes fixed on him. He kept his on the sky.

"I know." Her voice was quiet. She didn't say anything else for a full minute, then let out a slow sigh. "And believe me, I'm not assuming that you—I mean—" she spoke even lower. "I don't think you want me or anything. It just doesn't seem appropriate. I don't even know your name."

"Appropriate?" He threw back the blanket and sat up. "Who the hell cares about that?"

"Uh..." she turned her face so it was in shadow. "Me?"

"Fine. Be appropriate if you want to freeze."

She made a noise that could have been a laugh. "Ok, maybe you have a point."

There was a long pause. Then she scooped up her satchel and came to stretch out on the ground beside him. Or rather, a full arm's-length away. He rolled away from her and scooted backward to close the distance between them. _Sorry, girl. __I __plan __to__ keep warm tonight__._ He adjusted the blanket to make sure they were both covered, and took one last look at the sky. Could be that sometime soon, there wouldn't be stars shining in his eyes every night. Maybe he'd even have a real bed before long. Eat hot food every day. Live indoors again like a person.

He yawned until his jaw hurt. It was nice and quiet here. No need to keep watch or stay close to the ring; he'd hear it if it activated, even from across the field. He felt himself drifting off. Gods, he was so tired. His eyes were aching. He shut them.

That's when the ring began to spin.


	10. Wanted

Kay gradually became aware of cold ground under her side, and opened her eyes. The space in front of her was in shadow. She propped herself up on one elbow. Where exactly was she, again? Not on Earth; not on Atlantis. It was too dark to see much. She tried to feel afraid, but her body and brain were too tired. She sat up the rest of the way and remembered that the big, breathing shape beside her was Harry. The sight of the blanket over them both made her remember the rest.

She got to her feet and tottered across the clearing toward the clump of trees. Her legs were stiff and her bladder was ready to burst. But at least her eyes were more adjusted to the darkness now, or maybe there was more light than there had been a few minutes ago. Yes, there was a streak of gray just appearing down low in the sky. She tugged off her leggings and hiked up her skirt. Something told her that Harry would wake up the moment the sun came over those hills.

She finished and walked back with her arms wrapped around herself. He wasn't kidding last night about it getting cold here. There didn't seem any reason to try going back to sleep, but she stretched out beside him again anyway. She couldn't help pressing her back right up against his, even though Nanny's sternest lecture-face came and hung in front of her in the darkness. She pulled the blanket up to her nose and shut her eyes, and was just drifting off in spite of herself when Harry suddenly convulsed. She started and sat up. He convulsed again and kicked a leg out. She pushed the blanket back and peered over at him. He was still asleep, but his face was contorted. His arms were stretched out in front of him and his fingers were flexed. She was debating whether or not to wake him up when a shiver passed through him. His lips curled back and he drove a fist into something invisible. Then his whole body went rigid and he let out a wail that made her heart stop. She put a hand on his arm.

"Harry—"

He flipped himself over and slammed her against the ground with a hand wrapped around her throat. His eyes didn't look right. He growled some words and began to squeeze. She tried to speak but her breath was cut off. He dug in deeper and leaned down to say something in her ear, she didn't know what. But her hand moved up to claw at his cheek, and maybe he felt that. He jerked his head back and shook it. His eyes focused. There was a split second where she could see him take it all in, her face, his hand, the blanket bunched up between them. Then he let go.

"_You_."

He crawled back ten or twenty feet, and she sat up, coughing and gagging hard. The sun was up just enough for her to see him. He was crouched down, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Her breath came back bit by bit but her throat had a sharp ache and she couldn't stop swallowing. She fumbled behind herself for the backpack, and pulled out the very last water bottle. Her hand was shaking so hard she spilled as much as she got down.

"I thought the ring spun. It was a dream." His voice was rasping. He eased himself up and took a few careful steps toward her. "I thought you were one of them."

Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She turned away to hide them, but nodded. Even she could see he hadn't attacked her on purpose.

"You hurt?"

She shook her head and shoved the bottle into her backpack, then began to feel around for a tissue.

"You sure?"

He was close now. She heard his knee crack, then there was a hand on her shoulder and his smell came washing over her. A wadded-up tissue met her palm but she left it in the backpack. _Stop crying, Kay. Just stop it right now. _She cleared her throat and tried to speak in a normal voice, even though it hurt like hell.

"I'm fine. Really."

He began to tug on her shoulder as if trying to turn her around. She got up and stumbled a few feet away.

"You—you said something about berries yesterday. Should we get some?"

Saying that much cost her; she broke into a fit of coughing. He took one big step to close the distance between them and caught her arm before she could get away again. He tipped her chin up and studied her neck.

"Shit."

It was barely audible, but the look on his face said that she must be badly bruised. She twisted her arm out of his grip, smoothed down her shirt, and forced herself to smile.

"Well, are you going to find those berries, or not?"

He blinked down at her. "Berries?"

"Yes, berries."

He scanned her. "You're—all right?"

"Other than starving to death, yes." She folded her arms and pretended to give him a suspicious look. "Now, don't tell me there's a reason you're _trying_ to not feed me."

His brow wrinkled. "You—think I want you to starve?"

Her smile wavered; she plastered it back on. "No, I just can't help but think you're trying to make me eat that vomit-root again." She paused and swallowed a few times to make sure her voice didn't break again. "So, unless you're a culinary sadist...the berries, please?"

A spasm passed across his face and he must have blinked at her ten more times before finally turning into the woods. As soon as he was out of sight, she sank down right there and hugged her knees to her chest. Her throat ached, but nothing else felt off, and that was good. She poked around her neck and found the tender spots. _I thought you were one of them._ Her stomach knotted up. One of whom?

She got up and paced around the clearing to take her mind off of it. The sun was still low, but there was something like warmth beginning already. She undid the top few buttons on the cloak and knelt down to double-check what was left in her backpack. Two power bars; she'd save those for an emergency. The last water bottle was almost empty. She found the canteen and packet of iodine tablets, and took a second to read the directions. One tablet per full canteen of water, and there were ten here. Based on all the walking they'd done so far, she'd need to drink two canteens per day to keep hydrated, maybe more. She peered into the woods to see if there was any sign of Harry. They had to find a way back to Atlantis, fast.

She scooped up the blanket and shook the dirt out of it. May as well get things ready while he was gone. After the blanket was folded, she found the squashy package of whatever they ate last night and set it next to his bundle. Then she decided to pee again before he came back. She stripped off her cloak, spun around, and walked straight into his chest.

"Mother of Mary!" She jumped back, clutching at her heart. "Where the hell did you come from?"

He pointed with his nose over one shoulder. "There."

She let out a shaky laugh. "No, I mean you scared me half to death. I didn't hear you coming."

He avoided looking at her, and laid his coat out on the ground. There was a mountain of tiny berries piled in the middle, round like blueberries and purple like wine-grapes. She picked one up and sniffed it.

"Are you sure they aren't poisonous?"

He answered by cramming a fistful into his mouth. She tried one; juicy like a grape as well, and very sweet. She knelt down beside him and they ate the entire pile. Then he wiped his mouth and eyed her.

"We should get going. If..."

She waited for the rest, but he didn't finish. "If what?"

He focused on the grass. "If you want to."

"Yes, of course we should get moving." She stood up and brushed the grass off her skirt. He sat watching her for another moment, and she suddenly understood what he meant. _If you want to stay with me._

She paused and raised her brows at him. "Well, are we going, or not?"

That same spasm from before passed over his face. He unfolded the blanket and rolled it into an impossibly small wad, and was just shoving it into his bundle when he shot up and listened. She stopped to listen, too, but couldn't hear anything other than some birds chirping in the trees nearby.

"Harry?"

He already had her by the arm and was pulling her along the bottom of the hill. She stole a glance at his face and felt a cold lump settle in her gut. He put a hand on her back and urged her on until they were running much faster than she knew she could. They came around the bend and into an overgrown space between the hill and a small lake. There were more of the berry-bushes, plus some viney shrubs low to the ground. He shoved her in among them.

"Hide." He stuck an ear in the direction they'd just come from, then leaned down and met her eye. "Only come out if I call. Understand?"

She nodded. He turned and sprinted to the top of the hill, and she got down flat and pulled herself under the cover of the leaves. They were waxy, cool, and thick; she was covered here for sure, well out of sight of...what? Them?

She kept her breathing steady and listened. Nothing happened for what felt like hours, then there were sudden, distant shots and a throaty howl. The hair stood up on her arms. That was Harry. There was a cracking sound as if a branch were breaking off a tree, then more shots and a _slam_ that made her gasp. Something indistinct came after that, a scuffling and scratching noise, like when the neighbor's cats used to fight outside her window. Then everything fell silent. She froze, and waited. And waited. _Oh, God, did they catch him?_

"Hey. You can come out."

She didn't even realize her legs were both asleep until she jumped up and had to sink back down. Harry was standing behind her. She turned to look, and her heart went into her throat.

"You're hurt!"

He glanced down at himself. There was a gash at the top of his left arm and blood was streaming everywhere. She watched it register on his face. He swayed slightly, then straightened his back and jerked his head toward their campsite.

"Let's get going." He led the way around the hill to the clearing. When she caught up, he had already grabbed his things and was holding out her backpack and cloak. "I'll get to the ring and punch something in. Try to keep up."

"The ring? What are you, nuts? You need a bandage."

He checked his arm. "It can wait."

"Um, I'm sorry, but am I the only one who can see you bleeding to death?"

He shoved her things into her hands. "I said, it can wait."

She pressed her lips together and followed him past the clump of trees. On the other side, she stopped short and clapped a hand over her mouth. There was a body lying face-down on the edge of the field, long and lanky, with white hair.

"_Wraith_."

She felt herself backing up. Harry moved to grab her arm and pull her forward again.

"They're dead. Come on."

"_They?_" Her eyes darted in every direction. "More? Where?"

"Let it go. I said they're dead."

She caught a glimpse of his arm, and remembered that they needed to get out of here. They made it to the gate, but she was ready to vomit before he dialed.

He went through without taking her arm this time. When they stepped out, she suddenly found herself getting damp, and realized it was drizzling. He led her a short distance away from the gate, sat down, and dumped everything in his bundle out. He gave the bag itself a hard shake, and that's when she realized it was never a bag, but a folded-up tarp. She came to sit beside him and he drew the tarp over both of their heads. He took some little telescoping poles and worked them into the ground on all sides so that in less than a minute, they were under a makeshift tent.

She dug into her backpack for the first-aid kit. "Let me see your arm."

He scooted around. She pulled out some alcohol wipes and a bandage and tried to get a better look at the gash. It was long, but not as deep as she'd first thought. She ripped open a wipe.

"I'm sorry, but this will probably sting like hell."

"It's fine."

She began to run the wipe over the cut. He didn't flinch, but he puffed his cheeks out. His breath came wafting past her, and she peeked up at him. It was the only thing about him that didn't stink; a bit like basil, and a bit like mint. She focused on his arm again. It took five or six wipes to get the whole area, and he was still bleeding afterwards. She fumbled the bandage on somehow and clipped it tight.

"You should probably put pressure on that for a while."

He clamped a hand down on top of the bandage, and wiped his forehead on the inside of his elbow. She sat back and wiped her own forehead.

"Well, what now?"

"Rest a bit. Wait for the bleeding to stop."

She nodded and tucked her knees under her chin. "I'll need to get water someplace."

"There's a river near here. Other side of the ring."

"Good."

There didn't seem to be anything else to say. The rain picked up and drummed down on the tarp. Harry turned off to one side, and she took a few moments to study him. Scars and bruises everywhere. Drooping with exhaustion. Muscle and bone. Alone and surviving. And although she couldn't even begin to imagine what he'd done to piss them off, one thing was crystal clear now.

Harry wasn't just wanted. He was wanted by the Wraith.


	11. Getting Nowhere

"Radek, I am telling you, there is _nothing_ wrong with those crystals."

Evan heard a _slap_ and turned to see Dr. McKay rubbing his hand. He cringed. McKay must have whacked that DHD pretty hard.

"Yes, but Rodney, my diagnostic shows that the second- and third-tier—"

"I checked the second- and third-tier relays myself the last time, thank you very much, and I'm sorry, but I think I can trust my personal diagnostic over _that_." He gestured at Dr. Zelenka's laptop. "Now if you don't mind finding something else to diagnose, I have important work to do here."

Sergeant Bradley caught Evan's eye and mouthed, _panties in a bunch_. Evan chuckled silently, even though he didn't blame McKay for not wanting to be back here a second time. This planet was the ass-end of the galaxy. He mopped his forehead and motioned for Bradley and the others to search the area again. He knew there were no clues here as to where Kay had ended up, and there was definitely no danger to watch for, but there also wasn't any reason for them to just stand around staring. The Docs had been at it forever this morning. He checked his watch. Make that forever and thirty minutes.

"Rodney, all I'm saying is that it's worth taking a closer look." Zelenka pushed his glasses up his nose. "If the relays are off by even one-tenth of a percent—"

"Yes, yes, I know, the processors reroute everything through the secondary system."

"—which _could_ explain a glitch in the dialing code."

"_I__f_ the secondary system were malfunctioning, which it isn't."

They fell silent. Dr. Zelenka blinked at his laptop screen, while Dr. McKay clamped his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. Evan stepped over and cleared his throat.

"Listen, McKay, I'm no scientist, but shouldn't we be chasing down every possible theory here?"

Dr. McKay opened his eyes just long enough to glower up at him. "Oh, thank you for the advice, Major, and I suppose you'd like to get down here and check these crystals yourself?"

Evan counted to three before answering. "I'm just saying that Dr. Weir sent us back here because she wanted to rule out every possibility. If it's broken, we need to know for sure."

"And since I've already checked the entire dialing system _twice_, I can't imagine why a third check will change anything."

Evan didn't reply until McKay looked up at him again. "There _is_ a woman's life at stake here."

"Fine, fine." McKay's forehead looked ready to split in two, but he got to his knees and opened his laptop. "Radek?"

"Yes, I've got them." Zelenka knelt down beside him and began handing him various wires. McKay stuck them into different places in the DHD, and then picked up his laptop to watch. He sat tapping a finger against the side of the screen as if it would hurry the computer through whatever they were doing. Then his back went rigid.

"Oh. Oh, God."

"What is it?" Zelenka moved to crouch behind him and peered over his shoulder at the screen. His brow wrinkled for a second, and he pointed. "There. That's just what I—"

"Why the hell didn't that show up before?" McKay typed something in and looked like he was clicking through different screens. "The second tier is off by forty percent. Third tier is—oh, God."

Even crouched down with them. "Docs? Something wrong?"

McKay looked up with a white face. "The relay system is totally scrambled."

"Which means...?"

"Which means that it was literally a miracle we made it back to Atlantis the last time." He jumped up and began to dial. Evan took a few steps into the field and called at the top of his voice.

"_Bring it in, guys._"

All three made it back to the Gate just as the wormhole opened. "What's up, Major? We taking off?"

Evan sighed. "I'm not sure." He tugged the walkie-talkie off its clip. "Atlantis, this is Major Lorne. Do you copy?"

They all waited, but there was no response. McKay tapped his radio headset.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Rodney. Come in." He glanced around with wide eyes, and tried again. "Dr. Weir, this is Dr. McKay. Can you hear me?" There was a pause. "Anyone? Can anyone out there hear me?" He raked his fingers through his hair. "Oh, God. Oh, God. It's not them."

Evan moved toward the Gate. "But could that be where our girl ended up?"

McKay jumped out and grabbed his arm. "What, are you crazy? You aren't thinking of going through, are you?"

"Well, could that be where she went, or not?"

"_That_ could be anywhere in the entire galaxy. I'm telling you, this DHD is scrambled all to hell. You can't just go through at random and see where you end up." He spun around to face the others. "And by the way, am I the only one here who understands that this means _we are_ _completely __stranded here?_"

"Calm down, McKay." Evan resisted the urge to plug him in the face, and turned to address the whole group. "Listen, the DHD is malfunctioning. We may as well keep trying to get Atlantis, but if we don't get back at the scheduled time, they'll check in with us, and we can have them send a Jumper." He turned back to McKay. "All right?"

McKay let go of his arm and stood up straight. "Oh, right. Good. Jumper. Ok, then, let's, uh, keep trying."

Evan sighed and went back to the DHD. Yes, they'd just have to keep trying. This piece of junk wasn't going to help them find that girl after all, but at least they knew without a doubt now that he wasn't the one responsible for all this. Teams were already out searching. As soon as they got back, he and his men would join one.

_We'll find you, Kay. We'll figure __this__ out. Just sit tight. _

"Hope she's all right."

He glanced up; Bradley was scratching his cheek and staring at the Gate. Evan finished dialing and watched the wormhole pour out into the atmosphere.

_Y__ou and me both__._


	12. Kay

Ronon heard the girl coming up the path and stepped into plain sight so he wouldn't scare her to death. She caught sight of him and jogged the rest of the way.

"It was a false lead." She was even more out of breath than usual. "The planter who used to trade with them died two months ago."

He kicked the ground. Four days searching and they weren't getting anywhere. The girl came up and leaned all her weight against the activation device. He started punching in the symbols for the next place, and studied her. Shoulders dropping, face pale. And the last two villages hadn't been so close to the ring, so she'd been walking hard all afternoon. He pushed the last symbol and reached for her satchel.

"Give me that."

She tried to keep it on. "Oh—no, really, I'm all right."

He took it anyway and slung it over one shoulder. "Let's try one more place today. It's close to the ring. You won't have to walk much."

She looked relieved, and nodded. They went through. As soon as they stepped out again, his hackles rose. Something was wrong. The area looked clear, but he could sense people nearby. He shoved the girl behind him and drew his gun.

"Harry?"

"_You __two__. __Stay __right __where you are__._"

A man came out from behind a tree. Then another. Five more. Weapons were raised, mechanical ones that would shoot a stick right through your gut. Ronon's gun was already pointed at the first man, who came sauntering up to them while the others spread out to block the path.

"I said, stop. And lower your weapon."

Ronon lowered his head and kept his gun where it was. "What is this?"

"Just a precaution." The man looked him over and stepped off to the side to see the girl, too. Ronon thought he looked a little too long at her. "Who are you, and what do you want here?"

"That's our business."

The man flashed him a cold smile. "And I'm making it mine. What business do you have here?"

Ronon peered around the area. Something about this didn't feel right, and it wasn't just the weapons pointed at them. He laid his free hand on the stunner, but eased his gun down a few inches.

"We didn't come to make trouble."

"Then why are you armed to the teeth?"

"Why are you?"

The man laughed, even though it wasn't funny. "As I said, a precaution. Now state your business."

Ronon checked the positions of the guards. He could take down three before they got him, maybe four. But the girl didn't stand a chance without him.

"We're here to trade."

"Trade? And what are you seeking here?"

He shrugged, and also clenched his shoulder-blades to make sure his bundle and the girl's satchel were on tight.

"Depends on what you have."

The man pointed at the packs. "What do you have in those?"

"Not your business."

The man rolled his eyes and gestured at the guards surrounding them. "And yet you _will _show me, won't you?"

"Chief, a word." One of the guards stepped forward and spoke in the man's ear. He listened, wrinkled his brow, and looked hard at Ronon for a minute. Then his eyes turned dark.

"You're right, Terrak. I thought I knew him." Red heat came creeping up his neck and he drew a knife out of his belt. "It is you, isn't it? _Wraith-bringer._"

The man's face finally registered and the whole scene flashed in front of him, two darts flying close, him sprinting across the valley, stumbling into the village that he hadn't even known was there. And all those people. His vision blurred and he could taste bile coming into his mouth. He heard the girl take a sharp breath and realized that the guards were closing in. He tried to do something with his gun but it just stuck to his hand. Then he felt her moving up beside him and reached for her, but she was too fast, or maybe his arm wasn't working right. He watched her step out in front and hold up a hand.

"Wait—this man is my servant."

The head man flicked a finger in the air, and the guards paused. "What was that?"

"I said, this man is my servant. He has nothing to do with you. What do you mean by attacking us like this?"

Ronon blinked to clear his vision and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. _Stop. __What __are you doing?_

"He has everything to do with us." The head man's face was contorted. "This man brought the Wraith down on our village last year. There were thirty of us culled that day. He'll die a slow death for what he did."

The girl shook Ronon's hand off and stepped further out. "Last year, you say? Impossible. This man has been with my family for the last five years."

The guards all looked at each other. The head man looked at him.

"But I know him. I remember." His voice broke and he pointed a shaking finger. "I remember as if it were yesterday."

Ronon swallowed to keep the vomit down. He remembered like it was yesterday, too.

"You are mistaken." The girl folded her hands behind her back. He could see them shaking. "I don't know who you think he is, but I'm telling you, this man has served my family for five years."

The head man paused and scrutinized the girl from head to foot. "He's _your_ servant, you say?"

Ronon felt his throat tighten. The girl's clothes weren't looking as nice as when she first got them; days of walking and sleeping in them had mussed them up. Rich people with a servant wouldn't have to sleep in their clothes.

"I suppose you've been too busy to notice, but the Wraith are awakening." She said every word loud and clear, even though her arms were twitching like she was trying not to hug herself. "My father is the Governor of our town. Nevertheless, these are hard times for us all."

The man hesitated, then suddenly turned on Ronon. "I thought I told you to _l__ower your __weapon__._"

"Speak to me." The girl raised her chin. "I tell you, he is _my_ servant. Speak to _me_."

The man walked up to her with his eyes narrowed and stood so close their noses were almost touching.

"Tell him to lower his weapon."

"And if I don't?"

The man kept his eyes fixed on her and pointed behind him. "They'll _help_ you tell him."

Ronon's pulse pounded in his ears. He finally forced his free arm to move and pushed the girl aside.

"I said we didn't come to make trouble. We'll be on our way."

"_Keep your place._" She jerked herself away and shot him a long, sour look. "_I'll_ decide where and when we go."

The head man turned his back and seemed to be consulting that other man, Terrak. Ronon tried to get the girl's attention, but she was facing away from him now. _What are you doing? _Her arms were folded and he could see her fingers digging into her arms. The man spun around and snorted.

"Five years, you say? Prove it."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm sure I know that man." He pointed at Ronon again, but his voice didn't sound so sure anymore. "He brought them down on us all. He did. And he deserves to die."

The girl uncrossed her arms. "All right, then. If proof will allow us to pass..." she spoke over her shoulder to Ronon. "Activate the ring. We'll have to bring my father." She turned back and rested her hands on her hips. "Though I should tell you, he won't appreciate being troubled with this." Then she lowered her voice. "And I should probably mention, he will not come alone."

The man stood up straight. "Is that a threat?"

"If you need it to be." There was a pause. Then she snapped her head in Ronon's direction. "Why have you not obeyed me?"

He suddenly understood her plan and walked backward until the activation device was beside him. He kept his gun trained on the man's head the whole time; he could punch in the symbols without looking. When the water came pouring out, he went back and stood behind the girl. She'd played a dangerous game here, but it looked like she was going to win. At least he could keep her covered until she was all the way through.

She spoke over her shoulder again. "Well? Why aren't you going?"

He stood and blinked at the back of her head. When he didn't answer, she turned completely so that only he could see her face. She locked eyes with him and mouthed the word, _go_, and that's when he really understood. She wasn't trying to save her own skin at all.

"No. I'm not leaving without you."

She gave him a pleading look, then swallowed and tossed her head. "Don't tell me what you will or will not do. You will do as you're _told_." Then she mouthed it again. _Go._

He drilled into her with his eyes. _I __am__ not leaving you here. _"But...uh...your father sent me to protect you, so, uh...he...won't like it if I leave you behind." At the last second, it occurred to him to fake a bow.

"True." She turned just enough so the others could see her again, and looked like she was thinking it over. "I'd hate to see you punished on my account." She cleared her throat and addressed the head man again. "Listen to me. I and my servant are going to fetch my father. And when we return, I suggest that you greet us in a more friendly manner."

The man stared with his mouth open, but only for a breath. "_Stop_. I'm not letting that man leave. Go if you want and prove who he is if you can, but I am _not_ letting him go."

Ronon felt a line of sweat run down his cheek. The portal was still open, but he knew it would close any minute if they didn't go through, and they might not get another chance to open it. He slid the stunner out of his belt and scanned the guards again. Stun the two on the left, shoot the two on the right, and take it from there. But he had to get the girl into the water first.

He looked at her. She was white, but her lips were straight and her hands were still on her hips.

"Then kill us both."

The man flinched. "What was that?"

"You heard me. I don't trust you and I am not leaving my man here. Either let him come with me, or kill us both right now."

The man's face twitched, and he gestured for the guards to get ready. "Well, well. Maybe I will."

"And when I don't return, my father will come looking for me. And as I said before, he will not come alone."

The girl's voice wasn't steady anymore, but maybe that didn't matter. She was allowed to be scared facing death, and the man was listening. Ronon kept trying to get her attention. _Run for it. I've got you covered. Run__!_

The man stared at Ronon, and he could see him weighing the choice. It was either let them go and miss his chance for revenge, or kill them both and risk retaliation. He just wasn't sure whether to believe his own eyes, or the girl's story.

He finally made a motion, and the guards eased their weapons down. The same instant, the girl spun on her toes and marched straight to the ring, pausing just long enough to make sure Ronon was coming behind her. He kept his gun trained on the man's face until the water swallowed him up and spit him out on the other side.

He stumbled back over a rock and sat down hard. The girl dropped down in front of him and stuck her head between her knees.

"Oh, God. That was—oh, God."

He let the packs slide off his back, crawled forward and put both hands on her shoulders.

"What_._ The hell_._ Was _that_?"

"I have no idea." Her voice was muffled by her skirt, but he could tell she was crying and laughing at the same time. "Oh, God help me. I think I'm going to faint."

"Faint later." He pressed her shoulders to make sure she was listening. "Are you crazy? You almost got yourself _killed_ back there."

She raised her head and searched his face, as if she couldn't tell whether he were impressed or pissed as hell. He couldn't really tell himself, though he was leaning toward _pissed_. She dropped her eyes after a second, but he could read the next question there.

_What __was __all __that __about, __anyway__?_

He sat back and dug a hand into his hair. "Wraith were on my tail. I thought the world I was on was deserted. Turned out there was a village hidden in between the mountains. I tried to draw them off, but—" His voice cracked. "It was too late."

The girl's eyes were on him again, but now he couldn't look back. He picked up a piece of grass and crushed it. He tightened the strap on his boot. Then he got up before he could change his mind and went to activate the ring. The girl stood up behind him.

"Where are we going now?"

"I'm staying." He focused on the device. "I'll send you back to that village—the one where you got the clothes. Ask for the fishmongers. They're good people, they'll help you out."

"Wait, you're sending me on alone?" She stepped into his line of vision. "But I thought you needed a reward."

"Doesn't matter." The portal opened. He picked up her satchel and held it out. "Hope you find them soon."

She shook her head. "But you were right in the first place. I have a better chance of finding them if I actually _search_."

He shoved the satchel into her hands. "Get going before it closes."

She dropped it on the ground. "But, Harry—"

"No. You're not safe with me."

She studied him for a long moment, and took in a shaky breath.

"Look. I honestly don't know exactly what kind of trouble you're in, but I know my people can help you."

He passed a hand over his face. "Maybe they can, maybe they can't. It's not worth the risk."

Her face turned red. "I—I think it is."

He stared down at her, and she stared at the ground. He knew he should go scoop her up and dump her into the water, but his feet wouldn't move. She didn't move, either. They stood there for so long the portal closed.

She flashed him a slight smile and picked up her satchel. "I could stand to fill up my water. Is there anything near here?"

His shoulder twitched. He should activate it again; he should make her go. He should club her over the head and drag her into that damn village himself.

"There's...a river." He looked in that direction. It was a good ways off; the girl was too tired to make the walk. He held a hand out for her water container. "It's pretty far. You get some rest here while I fetch it."

She handed it over but eyed him. "You aren't going to try ditching me or anything, are you?"

His hand tightened on the container. "No. I wouldn't just leave you."

She seemed like she didn't know where to look and walked over to a tree. "Ah. Well. Thanks."

He didn't know whether that was for going after the water, or for not deserting her. He pointed himself at the river. It was early enough for him to fetch the water and also hunt down something for dinner. At the edge of the clearing, he paused.

"Uh...Kay."

"Yes?"

He fiddled with the strap on his holster. "Thanks. For back there."

She chuckled softly, and shook her head. "Oh, God."

He ducked into the undergrowth and went a few yards, then paused again and glanced back through the branches at Kay. She was huddled up against the tree-trunk, rocking back and forth. Her fingers were digging into her own arms. Her eyes darted around every few seconds and she jumped every time a bird landed within ear-shot.

He felt his lips curl up. Well, turned out he wasn't so pissed after all. Turned out that was the bravest damn girl he'd ever seen.

* * *

**Hello, Fellow Gate-lovers! :) Some people were curious, so just a quick note on length: there are about seven chapters left, maybe eight, depending on how it all gets divided up. And while I'm at it, let me thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here, and for being so wonderful and supportive! Millions of hugs and chocolates to you all! :)**


	13. New Toys

Kay fumbled for a handful of leaves and hoped they weren't poison ivy. She wiped herself, tugged up her panties, and slumped back clutching her midsection, but didn't crawl into the tent yet. The pre-dawn air was crisp and helped calm the cramps in her gut, and besides, she'd probably be back in the bushes in a minute. No need to draw attention to herself yet.

Harry stirred anyway, and pushed up the edge of the tarp. "Kay?"

"I'm here."

"What's wrong? You getting sick again?"

Her cheeks turned hot. So much for hiding it. "It's the water," she admitted. "I ran out of tablets a couple of days ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know." She pulled her hood down further over her face. "I guess I figured there wasn't anything you could do about it."

"Yes there is." He stood up and began tearing down the tent. "I know where to get good water."

"Really?"

She couldn't imagine water from any source out here agreeing with her, but it didn't hurt to try. He was ready in less than a minute. When they stepped out of the wormhole, she was blinded by afternoon sunlight and walked straight into his back.

"Sorry." She gave her eyes a minute to adjust and checked her watch. Two-thirty on Atlantis, not that that meant anything. The constant changes from afternoon to morning, or dawn to middle-of-the-night or whatever, were disorienting. It was like having jet-lag from hell, only it never went away.

Harry led the way across soft grass to a little stream that wound through the field surrounding them and then downhill out of sight. There was something familiar about the landscape, though she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Have we been here before?"

"Once." He dug into her backpack for the canteen and rinsed it out in the stream. "When we said we'd go on together."

"Oh, of course."

She played that night over in her head; it felt so long ago now. Had it only been—what?—a week? Ten days? How many different planets had they been on since then? He turned and held out the canteen.

"Here, try it."

She took a sip. It didn't taste like anything at all, which was probably a good sign. She gulped down about half and sat next to him on the bank.

"Thanks."

"I had the same problem. Shit my guts out for weeks 'til I got used to the water."

He unclipped his water-skin, dumped out the leftover lakewater from the last planet, and refilled it in the stream. She topped off her canteen and also filled the one empty water-bottle she'd had the presence of mind to keep. They were almost back to the DHD when a gray shape in the grass caught her eye. She stepped off to the side to see what it was; only a rock, but it was too smooth and flat to be natural. She crouched down and pushed the grass aside.

_I am an enemy of the Wraith; __I fight the one who takes life._

She grinned from ear to ear. Of all the things to find out here. The inscription went on to talk about fighting the Wraith, though she couldn't tell off-hand what it all meant.

"Kay? You all right?"

"Yeah. Look what I found."

Harry dropped both packs and knelt down. "What's that?"

"Runes. Or—well, symbols, at any rate. My people were in the middle of translating this code when I got lost."

"You can read that?"

"Some of it. Do you mind if I take a closer look?"

He glanced at the Gate, but shrugged. "Go ahead."

She dug her notes out of the backpack and compared the runes to their previous work.

"Interesting."

"What's it say?"

"I can't decipher all of it, but I think it's talking about weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Mmm. This was left behind by a people who lived ages ago. They were hiding villagers from the Wraith, probably moving people around to keep the Wraith from culling. But this says something about—" she scanned the runes again. "Here it is. _For k__ill__ing__ Wraith, tools __are necessary; __find __them__ here __and __use __well__._" She chewed on her thumbnail. Definitely a stash of weapons, maybe one that anybody was free to come take. Their technology was relatively primitive, but they must have had projectiles or blades or something_._ "Well. I guess they were trying to arm people as well as hide them."

"So...weapons _here_?"

"That's what it implies. The rest says something about getting to them...you're supposed to follow the sun into—I'm not sure—maybe the sea?"

"There's a beach." Harry stood and looked off into the distance, then back down at her. "You feeling better?"

She brushed a hand over her middle; the cramps were easing off and she felt more hydrated already.

"Actually, yes, thanks."

"Want to go look?"

She saw the spark in his eye, and smiled. "Why not?"

They gathered up their things and headed in that direction. It was hilly the whole way, but the slopes were gentle and Harry kept a slow pace for her. Or maybe she was just getting used to all this. She had to pull her drawstring a bit tighter now, and her arms were a little firmer already, even though he wouldn't let her carry anything anymore.

They reached a place where the ground dropped off and then they were in sight of the water. Harry pointed to their left.

"The sun'll set over there."

They climbed down the ridge and hiked across the sand, veering at an angle toward a sheer cliff-face at the end of the beach. When they reached it, they each put a hand out and searched all along it for anything like a clue. She finally found a single rune carved into the very bottom.

"There's a symbol here."

"What's it say?"

She studied it. "I think it says _submit_. Or maybe _under._ Could there be something buried under this cliff?"

"Why not?"

He crouched down and began digging along the cliff-base. She pushed up her sleeves and did the same. The sand caked underneath her fingernails, but she resisted the urge to scrape it out, and kept working. Her upper lip was damp before Harry called from the other end.

"Over here."

He scooted back and then she could see the hole, a small, perfect arch with tool-marks still showing in the rock. It was just big enough to squeeze into if they went one at a time. He stuck his head and shoulders in.

"I can't see anything."

She remembered her flashlight and fished it out of the backpack. "Here."

He stared at it. "What is that?"

"Oh, sorry." She flipped it on and handed it to him. "It's a light."

He looked at the bulb straight on and flinched. She laughed.

"Sorry, I should have warned you, those are really bright."

He shot her a look that said _you're in trouble_, and her stomach fluttered. That was the closest he'd ever come to smiling at her.

He shoved his upper half in again and looked around, then crawled in further until his whole body disappeared. A moment later, he crawled back out and grabbed their things.

"You have to get down flat, but it opens up around the bend."

He pushed the packs into the hole and went in after them. She lay down on her belly and army-crawled out of the sunlight, staying as close to him as possible without getting her nose kicked. After about twenty feet, the tunnel curved to the right, then his boots vanished and the floor dropped out. He took her by the arms and pulled her into an open space. The flashlight glinting off the walls showed tool-marks there as well. Harry scanned every inch of the chamber, but it was empty except for a half-rotted crate. She nudged it with her shoe.

"Nothing here after all. That's too bad."

"Wait."

He walked up to what looked like a solid wall of rock and ran both hands along it from top to bottom. Then he gave the middle section a push. There was a grating _creak_ and a snapping sound, and then, right at waist-level, part of the wall swung inward and they were staring into a small black chasm.

He stuck the flashlight in. "It's another tunnel. We'll have to crawl again."

He immediately squeezed himself through the opening. She swallowed hard and squeezed herself in, too, wishing she hadn't found that damned inscription after all.

It was pitch black except for the flashlight, and that was constantly bouncing around in Harry's hand. But what she could see of the tunnel were only close walls that looked like they were getting closer every minute.

"Well, this isn't what I thought I'd be doing today," she said, just to take her mind off it. "I never did understand spelunkers. Why did these people have to make it a tunnel, anyway? Were they chronically short, or something?"

"Smart. Most Wraith are too big to fit in here."

"True."

They began to slope downward, and the thought of heading further underground made her heart pound.

"Harry, can you see anything?"

"Not yet."

They went a bit further, and then she paused to take a few breaths. "Anything now?"

"No."

She made it another ten feet. "_Now?_"

"Still no. Wait—there's an opening." He picked up his pace and then stopped, flipped onto his back and pulled himself out. She crossed the remaining distance at a frantic speed and grabbed the hand that he was reaching in to her. He made sure she was steady on her feet, then clamped an arm around her waist. She could see why. They were squished onto a ledge about three feet wide, staring down at an underground river.

"You have got to be kidding me." She felt her throat close. "What now?"

He pointed the flashlight across, and they could make out rock-shapes on the other side.

"It's not far. They probably dug the tunnel here on purpose. Any wraith that did make it through would be easy to shoot from over there."

He put a foot in and felt for the bottom, then stepped down and inched his way forward until he was standing in the middle.

"It's not deep." He sloshed back and held out a hand again, but she didn't take it this time. She'd seen one too many horror movies to walk straight into an unknown, pitch-black, God-only-knew-what-was-in-it underground river.

"Um...I don't know. That doesn't exactly look safe to me."

He shrugged. "Like I said, it's not deep. And the water's moving slow."

"But are you sure there aren't any—uh—any creepy-crawlies in there?" She felt like an idiot asking, but her head was swimming with the possibilities.

"Just me."

She couldn't see his face very well, but was that meant to be a joke? He stepped back onto the ledge.

"I can carry you if you don't want to go in."

"What? No."

He bent to scoop her up anyway. She swatted at his arms.

"_No_."

He straightened himself and shone the light on her face. "Why not?"

_Because y__ou'll say "oof", and I'll be __mortified._ "No...reason. I can walk, is all. I don't have to be a complete baby here."

"You sure?"

"Definitely." She'd rather be eaten alive than have Harry think she was some kind of hippo. "Let's go."

He jumped off the ledge, and she followed. They waded across, and no giant snakes or two-mouthed piranhas came to nibble on them.

On the other side, they found themselves staring at a blank rock-face again, but Harry felt around until he found another hidden door. _Please, no more tunnels. Please, no more tunnels. _The door was full-sized this time, and when he worked it open, a burst of cool air rushed out. He checked the space and beckoned for her, and then they were finally standing in a large chamber with rusty metal boxes stacked against the walls. He handed her the flashlight and began throwing open the lids. The first and second were empty. The third held a stack of what were probably good daggers once, but the blades were rusted through now and the handles had mostly rotted away. The next two were full of things that looked like cross-bows, except that the ropes were worthless, and the next two held some mini-catapult-like things with the same problem.

"You said these people lived ages ago. I should have thought of this."

There was disappointment in his voice, but he pulled out the next box anyway, a flat one made of a material she didn't recognize. There were two dozen or so knives in it, black and sleek and about eight inches long. He took one and held it under the light.

"I've seen this kind of metal before. I think the ancestors made it. Never goes dull." He balanced it on the tip of one finger, and she just caught the corners of his mouth curling up before he hunched back over the box. "They're for throwing. These were worth coming for."

He finished searching, pushed the very last box aside, and then scooped up the one with the knives. There didn't seem any reason to hang around; they took a final look around the chamber and ducked back out. The trek across the river and up the tunnel wasn't so bad now that she knew where they were headed, even though it took longer than it had the first time. It was uphill most of the way, plus Harry had his bundle, her backpack, and now the box of knives to shove along in front of him.

They made it back and crawled out into the glaring sunlight. The scent of the ocean came washing over her, and that's when she realized how stale all of the air had been below. She breathed deep and stretched her arms.

"Wow, that feels good."

Harry had already dropped their things and was pulling knives out of the box. He stuck two in each boot, another four in his belt, and she lost count of how many went into various pockets inside his coat. Then he took that off and began stashing the rest in impossible places around his shirt and pants. The last three went into his hair, and she saw for the first time that being on the run might not be the only reason it was completely matted like that.

She ran a hand through her own hair and cringed at the oil that came away on her fingers. She must stink worse than a skunk by now. Her mouth was the only fresh thing about her, and that was only because of the mega-pack of gum she'd happened to stash in her bag before leaving Atlantis. She turned toward the ocean. The waves lapped at the shore in a gentle rhythm and the afternoon sun beat down on all of her sweaty, grimy parts. It was like a written invitation to jump right in.

Harry seemed to read her mind. "You swim?"

"Well enough. I wouldn't mind a quick dip. Would you?"

He answered by peeling off his boots, shirt and pants and throwing them aside. They hit the sand with a string of jingles and clanks. She chuckled.

"Mother of Mary, just how many knives were there?"

"Enough."

He headed down the beach. She stole a glance at his under-shorts, and couldn't help wondering if he kept any weapons in them. Then she giggled out loud at her own innuendo.

Now that his back was turned, she kicked off her shoes, tugged on her leggings, and dropped the skirt. She would much rather have stripped off every last stitch and let the sun dry out the water from the river, but there was no way she was going skinny-dipping with anyone looking on.

Harry was waiting for her in the shallows. She waded in a few feet and froze.

"Holy crap. That is _cold_."

He smirked across a wave at her. "Come on. There aren't any creepie-crawlies in it."

"Hey!" She kicked some water in his direction. "I can see one big one."

He splashed her back, buckets-worth that soaked her from head to toe. The shock of cold made her shriek, then laugh.

"That does it. I am _so_ filling your boots with sand tonight."

His brows shot up and he started toward her. She turned to run but he caught her, spun her back around and pulled her close. Then he grinned.

"Looks like I'll have to give you a good dunking, then."

He threw her over his shoulder, and didn't say _oof_.


	14. University of California, Los Angeles

Evan jogged into the Gateroom just as the event horizon came pouring out. "Colonel, wait."

Sheppard and the others paused. "What's up, Major?"

"Request permission to join you."

"We wouldn't mind the company, but I thought your team was back with Linguistics. Doesn't Dr. Weir want to wrap their project up?"

"She does, but they're a bit stalled. They really need their other doc."

Dr. McKay stepped forward, grinning. "Maybe they just need the galaxy's most brilliant scientist working with them."

Evan and Sheppard both turned to glare at him, and even Teyla frowned.

"Rodney, please remember that the team member in question is the very young woman we are searching for."

"Oh, right." Dr. McKay stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Lost Linguist. Sorry." Then he raised his head. "Still, it's just a code, right? I mean, we're not talking Condensed Matter Physics here or anything. Maybe I should give them a hand. I was solving codes when I was three."

Evan shook his head. "This one's a bit more complicated than the ones that came on your cereal boxes, McKay. That's why they brought the two new docs out here in the first place." He sighed. "Not even Dr. Wyatt could make heads or tails of it. Kay was the one who cracked it. They're pretty stuck without her."

"Perhaps someone ought to tell her that," Teyla said under her breath.

"What's that?"

"Nothing. Only, she does not seem to know why she was even brought to Atlantis. But we must find her before we can tell her anything." She gestured toward the open wormhole. "Colonel, should we not be going now?"

Sheppard nodded. "We'd love to have you join us, Major."

"Thanks, Colonel."

They turned into the wormhole. On the other side, they found themselves standing in a bright clearing with a stone-lined path leading into some woods.

"All right, everyone, you know the drill." Sheppard straightened the P90 clipped to his vest. "Keep your eyes peeled. Be friendly, but not too specific."

He led the way down the path until the woods thinned out and a cluster of clap-board buildings rose up about a quarter-mile away. They stopped at the tree-line to get a better look.

"Teyla, what do you think?"

"Yes, Colonel, I do believe my people have traded here before." She squinted, and pointed off to their left. "I feel certain that I have been inside that barn. It was many years ago, though."

"So, the villagers...friendly?"

"Oh, yes, Colonel. Very."

"All right, then. Let's check it out."

The path stopped at the edge of an open space with stalls set up along both sides and a small crowd milling around.

"A market," Teyla said. "Colonel, this is fortunate."

"I agree. Plenty of people to question here, and we can look like we're browsing. McKay, you're with me. Teyla, you and the Major take that side."

Teyla gave him a friendly smile, and they headed down the market-place, keeping their eyes open for someone who looked approachable. The first two stalls were mobbed; they'd never be able to squeeze in to ask anyone anything. The next one was completely empty, and the one after that had boxes of fruit piled everywhere, but no attendant. They kept moving.

"Seems like a nice place."

"Yes. It reminds me very much of our old village."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "You must miss being with your people."

"Yes, I do. But I visit as often as I can." She paused, and pointed with her nose. "There. That man appears quite friendly, and he isn't busy at the moment. Should we speak to him?"

Evan looked at the man and then past him to the next stall, where a wooden rack of shirts was on display. Not the rustic farmers' tops that most villagers out here wore, but t-shirts, actual Earth-style ones, all bearing the letters UCLA.

He took a step forward. "The hell?"

"Major?" She followed his eyes, caught sight of the shirts, and cocked her head. "That's strange. I have only seen that style of garment among your people."

"Exactly." He turned to see if he could spot Sheppard and McKay in the crowd.

Teyla lowered her voice. "Does the inscription on them mean anything to you?"

"Yeah. It's a school. Back on Earth."

He caught sight of Sheppard and motioned for him. Sheppard nudged McKay, and they both jogged across the market-place.

"Major, you find something?" He also followed Evan's eyes. "Hello. Where did those come from?"

McKay came up puffing. "UCLA? How in the world...?"

The four of them exchanged glances, then Teyla led the way up to the stall. A short, curvy girl was standing inside, folding garments into neat piles. She caught sight of them approaching, looked them over for a few seconds with her brows raised, and broke into a grin.

"A good morning to you, Strangers."

Teyla stepped forward and inclined her head slightly. "And a good morning to you."

"What brings you to our village today? Have you come for the Eighth-Day Festival?"

"No, not that. My friends and I are seeking...information."

The girl leaned her arms against the counter between them. "Oh? Then how can I be of help to you?"

Teyla gestured at the rack of t-shirts. "These garments. They are rather a strange pattern, are they not?"

The girl beamed down at them. "Yes, aren't they? Very popular. I've sold twelve already."

"Oh? And may I ask, where did you get the idea for them?"

The girl stood up straight and laughed. "_I_ see what information you seek. You wish to copy my pattern, don't you?"

Teyla chuckled. "No, that is not why I am asking."

"Oh, but it's perfectly all right." The girl fished something from under the counter and laid it out. Evan supposed it was the t-shirt pattern, but McKay's head was blocking his view now. "There. The seams are all very simple. If you understitch—"

Sheppard cleared his throat. "Uh, listen, thanks and everything, but we really don't need to know about the pattern." He shot Teyla a look that said, _let's wrap this thing up_.

"Yes, it's very kind of you." Teyla set the pattern aside. "But truly, that is not what we are seeking. A dear friend of ours is lost—she has been for some days now, in fact. When we last saw her, she was wearing a garment exactly like this."

The girl's face brightened even more. "Is that so? I wondered where, on all the worlds, she could have come from. I meant to ask, but we ran out of time."

"You saw her?" Evan shoved McKay aside. "When?"

The girl chewed on her lip. "I don't remember exactly. Half a moon ago?"

"Where is she now?"

"I have no idea. She came and traded for a new suit of clothes, then asked if I'd ever traded with a people called—oh, what were they called? The Athorians?"

"Athosians?"

"Yes, that sounds right."

Teyla continued to smile calmly. "And...have you?"

"No, not I, though I took her around to ask some of the others. A few did trade with them in the past, but nobody seems to know where they are these days."

Teyla sighed. "That's true, I'm afraid. And are you certain she did not tell you anything else, anything that could lead us to her whereabouts?"

The girl knit her brow and thought. "No, nothing. I'm sorry I can't be more help to you. I had no idea she was lost."

Evan spoke close to Sheppard's ear. "What now, Colonel?"

"I'm not sure, Major."

"Well, at least we know she's all right." McKay said. "She was here, and obviously fine, so this is still a good thing, right?" Then he just had to add, "At least, she _was_ all right. Half a moon ago, or...whenever. I guess anything could have happened to her since then."

Evan grabbed him by the collar. "So help me, McKay—"

"Later." Sheppard put a hand between them. "Believe me, Major, I usually want to kill him, too, but I try to do it in private."

Teyla interrupted them. "Colonel, I have an idea."

"Well, I'm definitely open to ideas here."

She nodded, and turned to McKay. "Rodney, do you have anything I could write on?"

McKay scrounged up a scrap of paper and a pen. Teyla took them and turned back to the girl.

"Tell me, would you recognize our friend if you saw her again?"

"Oh, yes, certainly. I liked her. I hope we'll meet again sometime or other."

Teyla laid the paper flat on the counter and began to sketch a Stargate address on it.

"Then, if she does happen to visit here again, would you please give her a message for us?"


End file.
